Damn Regrets
by kyara-gaara's girl
Summary: Gaara broke up with his girlfriend without reason at all. She left the village to toughen herself up and show to him that she's not weak and a little over three years, she came back being strong and beautiful. what will Gaara's decision be?
1. goodbye to you

**HELLO GUYS! THIS IS MY FIRST FANFICTION STORY EVER. I AM A LITTLE NERVOUS ABOUT THIS THOUGH BUT WITH A BIG HELP FROM **

**MY PRECIOUS FRIENDS, IT HAS IMPROVED AND IS BETTER THAN THE FIRST ONE. HOPE YOU ENJOY READING!**

**DAMN REGRETS**

**by: Kyara-Gaara's girl **

**Bakunawa**

**&**

**RJ  
**

(Gaara's Stupid Mistake)

Chapter One

"Gaara-kun, please…" the girl had said, had begged, "don't do this to me. You know that I love you so much."

"I told you already," the man's voice had been barely above a whisper, "I'm tired and sick of you. I'm sick of looking at you face… I don't want to see you ever again." He looked the other way, like he truly despised her, face stone and cold of indifference.

"But why? What have I done?" The fifteen-year-old girl had stepped closer. Her fingers were trembling to reach for him, for his warmth; her brown eyes threatening to spill her heartache.

"Nothing, I just don't love you anymore," he had replied so evenly as if he was just telling the time of the day.

Those words had stabbed her heart a thousand times over but at that time, she hadn't believed them to be true. She had wanted to shake herself awake from the bad dream, this nightmare. The young girl had bit her lip painfully, had tried to prevent herself from crying out loud in an open park.

How could he? After everything they had been through, after every moment of love and happiness, it had let to that. She had loved him with all her heart, mind and soul and had he not felt the same? Had it all been lies? And just like that, he came up to her to say that it was over between them.

She had held on to his shirt tightly until her knuckles were white. Silently tears had fallen to the sandy ground.

"I see…" she had told him, trying to smile wearily despite herself, "Th-this is just a joke, right? You don't mean it. Tomorrow, when everything's all clear, you will apologize to me and say that you didn't mean everything, right? Tell me and I will forgive you, j-just like I always do." She looked up to him expectantly.

"No, I meant those words," he had said, looking at her straight in the eye, "no one will come up tomorrow and apologize to you. All you'll see is an empty hallway and you will hear nothing but the blow of the wind."

The girl refused to believe, shaking her head violently, pleading to him to take back his word. It had been too much to take in that her lungs almost wanted to seize up.

"Pack your things, Kyara," the man had spoken with finality, again his gaze looked away from hers. "I don't want you in my house. We're no longer together."

That night everything seemed to have stopped entirely and all she felt was a tightening of her chest and the sorrow of her heart. He didn't want her anymore but he wasn't giving her his reasons. Any reason. Just that… he did not want her anymore. It was possible that he never even loved her at all. Would she have press on, force herself to him? That there a glint of hope of saving that relationship?

"Gaara-kun… thank you for everything," Kyara had settled her surrender, "thank you for… for loving me. At least, I have experienced being in love. I felt how it is to be loved even for a short time. I will never forget our memories together."

She had then pressed her lips to his unresponsive ones for the last time.

"Goodbye, Gaara-kun… I will never bother you again."

That had been their last meeting for three years. That was how Kyara remembered the events and the retching feeling that seemed as fresh as it was before. The morning after, she was gone, taking all the few things she had in a rush get away. It had been so convenient enough that after that break-up, the Kazekage had then given her an immediate return home to Konoha along with her mentor, Resha Mutsunagi, for an exchange program. Resha-sensei had explained that, this training exchange program would benefit both Sand and Leaf and would uphold the alliance of the two hidden village. As a former Leaf ninja herself, Kyara had been glad or would have been if not for her situation. She had thought the transfer as a refuge for her heart, taking that mission without a second thought.

After returning to Konohagakure, Kyara had been determined for a change. _Things will be different_, she had pledged, _a new Yukino Kyara will emerge out of the old_. She had promised herself that she would forget about that man. She had trained harder, forcing herself not to wallow in tears. And a little over three years, she had passed to jounin level. Serving as an examiner for Konoha's chunin exam committee and as an understudy to Sakura Haruno had occupied much of her time. New friends had also helped her. Training with Naruto and Sasuke had not been easy; they were no beating around the bush. And by the end of the day, Kyara had been practically beaten like one with all the stinging sores and aches on every inch of her body.

But now, it's time. Looking back and staring at the Kyara in the mirror of today, she could say that indeed she had changed. Physically, she had grown taller with curves of a woman. Her hair, once just sweeping her shoulders, had grown quite long past her back and down to her waist. She kept it tied back with a white ribbon but her bangs fell off, covering the left side of her face. She traded her black sleeveless shirt and shorts for an off-shoulder fitting blouse that barely covered her slim taut stomach and a skirt with cycling shorts underneath. A shuriken case belted to her right thigh, a medical kit tied to the small of her back, sheathed katana to her left hip and the Sand's hitai-ate around her neck; she had now realized she had become a beautiful powerful young woman of eighteen. But was she ready to face her past?

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As much as she wanted to stay in Konoha forever, she had already crossed the Rubicon years ago, pledging her allegiance to another village because of what she had thought was out of love. She was Suna's ninja now and it was time to head back to her village. The three-year training exchange program had ended.

"Promise that you'll write to me, okay?" Sakura said, teary eyed, "take care of your self or I'll hurt you."

The whole of Team Seven had gathered to see her to the large wooden gates.

"I'm sure you will, Sakura-san," Kyara gave her best friend a tight hug, "promise, I'll write everyday. And you do the same and I'll kill you if something happens to you too."

Two friends glowered at each other but broke into fits if giggles no soon after.

"Don't let Sasuke hurt you again or I'll kill him for real."

"I'm right here," piped the dark-haired man standing right beside them, "and you know I won't do that… again."

"I know," the brown-haired woman regarded him with a firm stare, "but just try and I'll crush your neck."

"Yeah, whatever… take care of yourself too. And don't be fooled with that idiot boyfriend yours again." Everyone gawked at his bluntness. "I mean, ex… I'm not through with him by the way."

Both Kyara and Sakura shook their heads while Naruto tried to tackle the other man down. It was typical of Sasuke to hold grudges.

"Nah, no need to do that. But thanks," Kyara slapped the Sharingan-bearer on the shoulder. Kyara then turned her attention to the blonde would-be Hokage. "Naruto-kun, thanks for everything. And control you temper to and good luck with Hinata-san."

"Y-yeah, no problem," Naruto actual blushed pink, "takes care on your way, Kyara. Give us a visit here if you have the time, okay? And don't let yourself down by seeing _him_. You'll be the loser in the end."

"Don't worry, I won't."

A few distance away, Resha-sensei called on her student to hurry up.

"Thanks guys. I have to go now."

One last farewell. One last wave. Kyara was out of Konoha with bittersweet tears brimming in her eyes.

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For three years she had not set foot in the Village Hidden in Sand. For three years she had not thought of coming back. But within the span of three days after leaving Konoha, she had arrived. Nothing seemed to have changed much since she left. The usual playground was still there will kids around. The buildings and houses were still stone and clay and everything was still covered in, well, sand.

The guards did not put much attention on _who_ she was, only that she was one hot woman walking up to them with legs that went on for miles. She felt the intensity of their stares but went on ahead and greeted them. "Good afternoon, Yura-san. Baki-san. How are you?"

Both stared wide-eyed at the newcomer. Who would have known it was her?

"K-Kyara? Is that you?" Baki was first to come out of his stupor, "when did you come back?"

"Just now," she smiled brightly. "My, Yura-san! You haven't changed a bit. You still got that boring look about you."

The shinobi was still staring however. "Yeah. And you're so… beautiful—"

"Hey! Quit drooling over my student!" Resha marched up to them, bumping Yura on the side. She was already like a mother to Kyara, never the affectionate one but protective and strict at times.

"Sensei's right. Stop staring Yura-san. I'm getting conscious…" she held her hand to her cheek, taking a demure façade.

"Oh, right. Sorry." The man straightened himself.

Someone was running towards them, calling Kyara's name. She first caught the sight of unruly red hair and she instantly thought for the worst. But a clearer view of his face and Kyara remembered to breathe. It was just Sasori.

Resha was quickly in front as the pretty-faced puppeteer seemed to lose the capacity to stop running. "Hold it young man…!"

"Mutsunagi-sensei, Kyara's my friend too," the lad whined, "I want to see her."

"Sensei, it's alright," the hazel-eyed young lady pleaded, "Could we talk for a while?"

"Sure," grumbled the older woman, "I'll be heading for the Kazekage anyway for debriefing. I'll meet you at my old apartment, Kyara. You know how to get inside, don't you?"

"Uhm… I don't remember where you put the keys, so I'll just break down the door then?"

"Baka, what have I been teaching you all this years?" Resha rebuked, hands on her hips.

"Sensei…" Kyara pouted, "You really don't have that faith in me, do you?"

Her mentor simply rolled her eyes heavenward, praying that the girl hadn't learned any of Haruno Sakura's ground-breaking techniques. Or she might need a new door tonight.

They bid their farewell to the three older shinobi. Resha-sensei joined the other men for the kage's office. When they were out of sight, Kyara turned her attention to Sasori, linking her arms with the young man.

"I missed you, Sasori-kun!" she cuddled his arm, "Oh my! You're taller than ever!"

"And so have you, Kyara-san… and beautiful too."

The way he said it, with all the sincerity in his eyes, actually made her flush pink. "Really? Thanks."

"So how was your training in Konoha?"

"It was hard but I enjoyed my stay. It was tough that my shirt got so ratty I could have used it for rags."

"That explains the new look, huh? Well, it suits you. You look good."

"You're flattering me too much."

"But it's true! You're just so different now. I had to look three times to make it was really Kyara Yukino standing at the other side of the street. I bet you changed your odd ways now, huh?"

"Not really. I'm not that far off from the old me… but," Kyara had looked away solemnly, "I'm not the weak Kyara anymore. Not this time."

Sasori felt her change in mood but instead chose to amicably pat on the shoulder. "Now that's more like it!"

"Yeah…" she kunoichi sighed, "you know, I really need to rest. The trip here was tiring."

"I'll walk you home then."

"Okay. Come on…"

For a while she thought she could just pretend. For days, maybe from the every moment she was informed of her return to Suna, a certain dread and foreboding filled her gut. Inevitably, she would have to face him—the man she once loved. This was his home village after all and if that so happens, would she have the courage to look him in the eye? To say his name without bleeding inside? She was ninja, strong and powerful, but was it enough for her to stand tall beside the one person who hurt her the most?

The kunoichi unconsciously held Sasori's arm tighter, seeking solace on the nearest warmth of a caring soul. Yes, Sasrori had been very comforting; a true friend when all hope seemed to have fled her that night three years ago. He opened his doors for her when she had no where to run to, gave her a shoulder when she could not hold back the tears and an ear to listen to all her woes and heartache. Kyara owed him so much and with him around, she might still remember her courage when faced with her fears.

"Hey! You listening?" Sasori waved a hand in front of her face as they walk side by side along the road towards the village's housing district.

"I, uh, what?" Kyara snapped out of her reverie, flushing pink with embarrassment, "Sorry. Did you say something?"

"I was asking you of your plans tomorrow?"

"Oh, let's see… I'm going over to the Kazekage. Missions update, maybe. If he has something already for me. Or I might do some training."

"Who'll train with you?"

"Who do you think? Myself, me and I. And Kyara," she laughed at herself.

"Woah… was that a joke? I didn't know you could do that."

"Of course. I can joke around as much as I want… oh, here we are!"

Resha-sensei's two-storey house was old and grey. The thick clay walls, once corn-yellow, were pale, chipped off and washed out. The windows were boarded and the door stood locked.

"Well, see you tomorrow, then," Sasori bid his farewell, walking backwards, waving to her.

"Yeah. Thanks for walking me here." The young lady waved back.

"No problem."

Kyara watched her best friend walk away, turn around a corner and disappear completely. She needed to catch up on things with him; maybe over tea or a meal. She might ask him tomorrow if neither one of them was busy. But now she needed to rest. Turning to Resha-sensei's old house, she remembered the last time she had been inside. But it had been a time where she had wanted to change herself so badly.

Kyara could still remember it clearly, the night when she came barging in that very door she was staring at the moment. She had fallen to her knees with tears streaming uncontrollably down her pale cheeks. "Sensei, please! Please train me… make me stronger! Please sensei!"

"Kyara, will you calm down—" Resha-sensei had tried to pacify her but Kyara had almost been delirious

"I don't want to be weak!" she had cried, "Train me sensei, I beg you!"

"Idiot girl, get a grip of your self!" the older kunoichi had yelled, appeasing the other girl, "Kyara… you are shinobi. Look at yourself. You can do better than this! Stand up!"

Kyara had done what she had been told, standing up on wobbly feet, face still held down with tears flowing. "Now, tell me what happened," Mutsunagi Resha had ordered.

"I-it's—it's Gaara-kun…"

"…what did he do?" the teacher had asked slowly.

"He broke up with me, sensei." Kyara had then hung her head again.

"Not a big deal," the woman had suddenly said, "boys are always like that. After they got what they wanted from you, they'll just dump you."

"N-no, sensei, Gaara-kun's not like that…" the younger kunoichi had replied between hiccups and sniffs.

"And that's a typical response from you, Kyara. But you shouldn't forget, you're the one whose been dumped here."

A short pause.

"You're a ninja, a chunin at that," Resha-sensei had began again, "You're capable of special powers. Not just that, you've worked hard to achieve what you have now. You are worthy, Kyara, you are unique. You ask me to train you, I will train you. You want to become stronger, I will make you stronger. But I will not do this for you to get back that idiot boy's affections."

"Sensei…" Kyara had replied with intense resolve, "I want to be stronger. I want to be tougher. I don't want to be undermined. I don't want to be played by people anymore."

The older woman's stern onyx eyes had softened. "You will become stronger, Kyara."

And now after three years, she once again stepped inside her sensei's dust-covered living room. But this time she did not come to crawl and beg. This time she stood tall and proud of herself. She had attained what she had asked for and returned a new person. But still there was that lingering apprehension: was it enough?

authors note: hello there guys! this is my first story to be posted. i'm a little nervous about this though. it's still on progress.=)


	2. feelings confused

Chapter Two

Sasori was particularly jovial this morning. He woke up feeling energized and over-all happy now that Kyara was back to the village. He had missed the sweet endearing girl so much, almost as how an amputee would miss his severed leg. He had every reason to compare her with such a vital appendage for Kyara had been as much as a support and courage to him as a leg to the body. She had been there, caring and true, when he had been down and nearly broke. She stood by him when everybody had turned away, almost shunning him out of his home. And without her, his little shop of toys—the one he had inherited from his loving Grandma Chiyo—would not have grown.

He remembered the days when she would come to his shop very early in the morning, gather every doll she could carry with her and take on the busy streets to sell. She had looked strange, hauling three dozen dolls on her back while trying to convince even another dollmaker to buy, but she had been genuinely helpful even when there were times she had not sold a single one.

Kyara was like a little sister that he had only wished he could have had and her absence had brought a longing sadness in him. Their farewell had been short since Kyara's immediate transfer to Konoha by the Kazekage's order had been unexpected and abrupt. The prospect of her ever coming back had been undetermined either, making her unannounced arrival even more surprising.

And how she had changed so much! He couldn't deny that she wasn't a little girl anymore. She took the visage and grace and gait that of a woman's, so unlike the clumsy little chipmunk that used to smile too bright and loved too readily. But how much indeed had she changed? How much alteration had a painful heartbreak caused her? He could barely tell it from her eyes—a pair of glassy hazel eyes that once been too naïve of the world—that gave him a preview of what lies underneath. Sadness. Loneliness. Uncertainties. Even fear. But not the kind that rendered her helpless in a corner—a physical fear. It was a lingering fear that made her look twice at everything before she settle down, looking away forlornly or making a funny face that could only hide so much of her heavy thoughts. It was a dread that made her edgy and anxious because she was still hurting inside yet she did not want to admit the pain.

Sasori was no stranger to the events three years ago. He had witnessed Kyara's short-lived joy and love with a man most unlikely to have held her close. That night before her departure, he had opened his doors when she had no where else to run to. He had also been the silent listener of her woes when she lost that love on that very same night. His heart had ached for her misery yet all he had done was let her lean on him as she trembled and cried. Would he have done more like what a loving older brother would have thought of doing? A confrontation with Gaara and demand from him an explanation and an apology for Kyara? Or just a straight out brawl to get some sense out of him? No, as much as he cared for Kyara and sympathized for her pain, Sasori could not hate the man who caused it. The sensible cynical side of him told him to let these matters of the heart alone and that there was more to what had been said and done.

And speaking of the devil himself…

"Good morning Gaara-kun…"

The younger man walked up and stared down at him. "Where were you last night? You missed training." was his greeting.

Sasori was not deterred by the feared jinchuuriki's gaze, even slouched farther from his seat facing the Kazekage's office door. "Nah… I was just not in the mood yesterday," he shrugged.

"You're too easy going. No wonder you haven't got a promotion."

"Yeah… but forget about me," the older redhead waved a dismissive hand, "did you know that Kyara's back in town?" That was shot point-blank and intentional. No beating around the bush for Sasori! He waited for any reaction but Gaara remained expressionless, as if he had just mentioned the weather was nice today. "She arrived yesterday afternoon, but I think you already knew that," Sasori continued, "she looks different now. More beautiful if you ask me; but I won't spoil that for you either. You'll just have to see for yourself…"

Still no response. But the puppet-master only needed to see the other's eyes to know the turmoil building inside. Gaara's jade eyes—empty, hallow… regretful? Longing?

Did it mean that he still loved her?

Sasori was not one to talk about these things but he had his own ways of getting out the right responses—how ever little they may be—from even the most stone-faced individuals. It had always been the eyes, the window to the soul, and indeed they convey every bit of human emotion that even the most cold-hearted would most likely to keep within themselves. Gaara was no different from any other ordinary person trying to school his face to appear indifferent. He just had to look very closely to ever understand his way of thinking.

After reporting and receiving their next mission, the two Suna ninja was about to head out when Kyara appeared unexpectedly, coming from the other way towards them. The world seemed to come to a standstill as she faltered slightly on her step at the sight of them. Or particularly, just one of them.

On the other hand, Gaara completely stopped on his path. For a second he was shocked but then his face turned to a vague empty expression that spoke so much. He had mastered schooling his face that, if given the chance, it would have been an art. But Sasori of the Red Sand wasn't deceived.

Looking back at Kyara, the puppet-master was sure she wanted to make a run for it, a flash of panic briefly on her face, but then she held up a hand and waved at them. "Good morning! Sasori-kun, Gaara-kun," she greeted them both amicably before turning to Sasori alone. "Is the Kazekage in?" she asked him, "I wanted to update him."

But she was smiling too brightly, too forcibly. "Yeah, he's right up," the puppet-masters answered, "I thought you said you were going to train today?"

"I had already. Just this dawn."

"Early riser, are we."

Kyara simply grinned and went on her way. Sweeping past Gaara, she waved her farewell. "See you around guys," she called back.

Sasori waved back. "Well that was a bit cold…" he said to the quiet man beside him only to find an empty spot. Gaara was already walking out of the door. The puppeteer ran after him until he fell well into his steps again. "I don't know about you but she surely took your first meeting in three years quite lightly," he shot, "I told you she's changed. But I didn't think she would take you a bit… indifferently."

"She's not the girl I used to know.

"A far cry from it. I noticed… you can't help but stare at her." Sasori was leering at him.

"What are you talking about?"

The older shinobi snorted. "Deny all you want, Gaara-kun, but your eyes… they tell me everything."

Gaara gave him the look that could have frozen over the whole of Suna. Sasori only quirked an eyebrow, unfazed by the threatening stare. Then Gaara took his leave, separating to another direction.

The puppet-master simply sighed just for the sake of sighing. Really, why was he even bothering himself with such matters? But then, when he knew something was indeed wrong, it would always irk him to no end until he figured out how to set it straight, like when a knob for the arm wouldn't fit the hole of a wooden doll's torso. He couldn't really meddle in on other people's affairs, but the pangs of Kyara's misery made him want to take action.

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Leaning against the wall, Kyara clutched her shirt tightly as if she was taking hold of her heart instead to steady it from its beating rampage. She was thinking of Gaara, whom she had just seen a minute ago. The physical change in him was subtle yet change was only to be expected from a young man. He was way taller than her now, maybe a head taller. His shoulders were broader and his arms seemed well-built even under the long sleeves of his maroon coat. Those same arms that once encompassed her…

She had seen him finally. She had walked up to him, said his name out loud, and stood right next him only for a few seconds. The fearful encounter had just happened and she had just made it through the whole ordeal with everything intact. She had not cried in front of him, she had not run away by the sight of him though she had expected otherwise, nor had she stutter out his name when she greeted him. But why did she feel such a mess now? Why was the tears flowing freely again when she had stood tall against the dreaded first meeting she knew she could never avoid. Why were all the emotions she tried and tried to crush inside coming out now of all times that she needed to be strong?

Alone in the deserted corridor, Kyara tried with much difficulty to compose herself before entering the Kazekage's office. She brushed away the wetness in her eyes. Those tears were unacceptable. She felt disgusted with herself for breaking down like that. Resha-sensei would have had a fit if she ever found out.

"You shouldn't be like this…" she whispered to herself, "you're shouldn't be weak anymore…"

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"Hey, what's up with you?!" Kankuro yelled, spitting sand from his mouth. His little brother had almost smothered him to death. Not a nicest way to start his morning.

"Kankuro!" was the warning voice of Temari. She was well aware that Gaara had been a little off with training today but pissing him off was not something recommended to snap him out of it either. "Gaara," the oldest sibling turned to the youngest, "is something the matter?"

"Nothing," Gaara replied, "Let's continue…"

He was already drawing his sand for a direct assault but Kankuro interjected, "something _is_ bothering you. Maybe it's better if we call it a day—"

"No, nothing's wrong. Let's just resume what we were doing…"

"You've been looking too far off lately. You're lacking focus today," Temari spoke and she meant business, "I had to repeat instructions twice before you got it and you're control over your sand had been too… unregulated."

"I got him, didn't I?" Gaara hitched his head to Kankuro's way. The puppeteer crossed his arms and grumbled something unintelligible.

"That was you and your sand's immediate response to danger, an unnecessary delayed reaction when I clearly stated you move to Point B before Kankuro. You have to stick to the plans. I know you, Gaara, you are never like this."

"Tsk…" Gaara crossed his arms over his chest, annoyed, "let's just move on."

"Is Kyara's arrival affecting you that much?" Temari drew the question with the gall that only she could have had.

The redhead gave his sister a steady glare. She returned the intense stare back. "I'm not." he said plainly.

"Don't act as if you're not, Gaara," Temari, in turn, placed her hands on her hips, "you're performance today is abysmal, even for someone of your caliber, I can see it. We've been together for how many years and I—"

"Know me?" the jinchuuriki finished the sentence, "… tell me, dear _sister_, just how much do you know about me?"

Even if she wanted to avoid Gaara's temper initially but her own was quickly stirring. "Three years and you're still putting up that front. Kyara's back and I know you want to run to her side. What's stopping you?"

"I thought we are talking about my 'abysmal performance', so why are you bring this up?"

"And I'm trying to enlighten you on the _real_ cause of _your_ problem."

"If it is my problem, then butt out of it. Stop trying to make me feel guilty over what I did in the past. You had nothing to do with it. It was my decision and I never regretted it and _will_ never regret it."

"Fine… that's what you said. So stand up to it—"

"Hey guys, guys…" Kankuro had to interrupt before it became a bloodbath, "temperature's rising here… dangerously. Both of you come down. Relax…"

The puppeteer motioned for Temari to go away and chill for a while. She took off without fuzz. Then Kankuro turned to his younger brother, finding him burning holes on the back of their blonde sister's retreating form. "You calmed down now?" he asked, tentatively, "… you know, Temari's right in a sense. You shouldn't have done that to Kyara." The malicious glare was redirected to him, making him stand on guard.

"I had reasons, Kankuro…" Gaara said evenly.

"Like what? Because you don't love her anymore?"

"…yes."

"Phu—that's bull and I'm not buying it either."

"I'm not taking this up with you too." Gaara gathered his sand and left quickly, the opposite of the path Temari took.

Sabaku no Kankuro watched his brother walk away. He knew how much Kyara had loved his brother and Gaara, in those rare moments of lax inhibitions and drawn out emotions, had shown as much affection to her. Gaara could have not faked those signs of love. He had not been into any romantic relationship before Kyara to have that ability. And had he not sworn to protect Kyara with his life? That had been the most uncanny, unnatural thing his little brother had ever confessed because Gaara was not known to concern himself with other people's welfare. But he was not known to speak without meaning to his words either. Then and there, Kankuro knew he had meant it when he said he would rather die than see Kyara hurt. The girl had been special to him but what had happened? Why had he ended the relationship that had brought him the rarest of all joys, leaving the girl with as much suffering?


	3. boosting up

Chapter Three

"Sensei, please…" she had dropped to the floor, beseeching, wailing, "Please train me… make me stronger! Please sensei!"

The older kunoichi had been tried to hold her upright, shocked by her student's sudden hysterical behavior. "Kyara, will you calm down—"

"I don't want to be weak! He doesn't love me because I'm weak and helpless and stupid! Train me sensei, I beg you!"

"Idiot girl, get a grip of your self!" The older woman had yelled, slapping her young student's wet face.

The chunin Kyara had held her tender cheek, stunned to silence. "B-but—"

"Kyara… you are shinobi. Look at yourself. You can do better than this! Stand up!" Kyara remembered doing what she had been told, standing up on wobbly feet but her face still held down with tears flowing. "Now, tell me what happened," Mutsunagi Resha had ordered.

Kyara had then begun with a slight croaky voice. "S-sensei—"

"Speak to me straight, Yukino! You are shinobi! Stand up straight, look at me in the eye and explain your self!"

Kyara remembered her head had immediately snapped upright, fearing her teacher's ire more than anything. "I-it's—it's Gaara-kun…"

The teacher had paused before asking, "…what did he do?"

"He broke up with me, sensei…" Kyara had hung her head again.

Thinking back then, the present Kyara realized that she had just been acting childish and stupid, running to her teacher like that. Why would her teacher care about her petty dilemma? Why would she concern herself with a young girl's woes? Kyara Yukino was a ninja, a soldier, and soldiers don't cry their hearts out to their superiors. It had been a ridiculous idea! She had thought of running to her Resha-sensei first because she was the only one who could grant her more strength, more power, to prove to Gaara that she was not worthless. Kyara had acted on impulse and when she thought Resha-sensei was about to tell her off, she had been surprised the teacher told her problem was a big deal. "Boys are always like that," Resha-sensei had added, "After they get what they wanted from you, they'll just dump you."

Empathy had been the last thing Kyara expected from a cold and austere Mutsunagi Resha. She had really expected to be scolded, to be called childish and stupid, to just go home and deal with it. But her sensei had been proved her otherwise. The fifteen-year-old Kyara had been too self-absorbed to have understood the reason behind her sensei's reactions at that time, but now that she was older and had been privy to her teacher's own dilemma, she appreciated her Resha-sensei even more.

The Yukino jounin then remembered reasoning out, trying to defend Gaara to some extent but Resha-sensei hadn't let her.

"N-no, sensei, Gaara-kun's not like that…" Kyara had said between hiccups and sniffs.

"And that's a typical response from you, Kyara," the teacher had scoffed, "But you shouldn't forget, you're the one whose been dumped here."

Those had been harsh words but they were true and the young chunin had wordlessly accepted the fact without grasping the essence. She had not known any better.

"You're a ninja, a chunin at that," Resha-sensei had started again, "You're capable of special powers. Not just that, you've worked hard to achieve what you have now. Look at me, Kyara… You don't allow anyone to look down on you and you don't look down on your self. You are worthy, Kyara, you are unique. You ask me to train you, I will train you. You want to become stronger, I will make you stronger. But I will not do this for you to get back that idiot boy's affections. No, Kyara, I will only do this _for you_. Because you have the potential to be stronger. And if your reasons are otherwise, you could very well expect nothing from me."

"Sensei…" deep hazel eyes, still wet with tears, had then looked back at her teacher's with her intense resolution in heart. "I want to be stronger. I want to be tougher. I don't want to be undermined. I don't want to be played by people anymore. I want to—to—"

"You want to forget everything about Gaara?"

"Yes," Kyara had immediately answered.

"Hah… that is your decision. And a wise one. Keep him out of your mind and out of your heart. You will become stronger, Kyara." The woman's stern onyx eyes had softened. She had tenderly brushed her strong hand against the younger one's cheek, the very side she had slapped earlier. Resha had then lifted her student's chin so that she could look directly into her eyes as she spoke, "no more crying, girl. For as long as you are under my tutelage, I never ever want to see you cry again. Understood?"

"Hai, sensei…!" The chunin had brushed away the remaining wetness from her face, rubbing tears and sniffs on her sleeves.

"We'll leave tomorrow morning. Be at the gates by 7:30." Resha had turned her back and resumed her task of fixing a large pack before Kyara had come barging in through her door.

"What? That was so sudden…"

"You wanted to get out of here, right? Here's your chance."

"b-but I didn't say anything about leaving—"

"You were heading for that line anyway," the blue-haired woman had shrugged as she tucked her folded clothes inside her pack, "if you don't want to train in Konoha, just say so."

"K-Konoha…?"

"The Kazekage and Leaf's Hokage had been talking about an exchange program. The Kazegage chose me to facilitate. And since you're my student, I'm taking you with me. Students from Leaf will be arriving too, soon after we leave. They will train here to learn from us, mainly from out medical faction, while we would do likewise to them. It's a mutual exchange of knowledge that both could find beneficial. Then after a few months maybe, we switch back. It's for the strengthening of Suna and Konoha's alliance. You're originally from Konoha, am I correct? Wouldn't you want to see your hometown again?"

"Yes, but I wasn't expecting this—"

"What?!" Resha-sensei had snapped again, facing her student once again, "do you want me to train you or not?"

"I do, sensei—" Kyara had said more firmly, standing straighter.

"Then are you coming along? Because I could just leave you here, pitiful as you are now."

"I'm coming with you, sensei. I just need t-to get my things from…"

Mentioning his name would have immediately deflated her stance. The wound had been too fresh at the time. It had still hurt too much.

"Go," was her teacher's sign of dismissal, turning her back again.

"I will be at the gates at 7:30."

"Just make sure because I'm not waiting any minute longer than that."

"Hai…!" Kyara then turned to leave but before she closed the door in her wake, she bid her sensei a solemn, "arigatou gozaimasu, Resha-sensei."

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Yukino Kyara, jounin of the Sand, opened her soft golden eyes to the present day only to be greeted by hustles and bustles of Suna's night market. Another memory had replayed in her mind. She had been doing that a lot lately and every time she had her moments of quiet reveries, she saw them with more clarity and understanding than when they actually happened three years ago. Now that she thought of it, her actions had been immature, brash and thoughtless. She should have handled her emotions more carefully but she hadn't known any better. She would have forgiven herself for her naivety back then but now that she was older, she couldn't afford to lose her self-control.

Then again, she had. She had allowed herself to break down while there were no others to see. And just after she met Gaara again.

"No more crying…" Kyara silently reminded herself of her sensei's very words, oblivious to the stares she receives from her fellow buyers. Her 40-year-old teacher had never been the warm comforting motherly type and would never be but she had given more support and courage to Kyara than any other mother would. She had stayed by her side, trained her, taught her how to deal and fight on with life, and Kyara was more than grateful. Even if she had never known her real mother, Resha-sensei was the closest she could ever have to one and she would never change her for the world. Just the very thought of her gave the young Yukino the wake up call that broke her out of her depressive sulking.

In her solitude, she allowed her self to breathe and unwind while aimlessly traversing the marketplace. But as she gathered her thoughts and collected herself, she did not notice an approaching presence of another. "A Ryo for your thoughts?" he said softly. Kyara's hand shot instinctively for her katana, stringed to her left hip, but it was too late already. If it had been an enemy nin, she would have been dead by now. She was glad it had only been Sasori-kun and not Resha-sensei. She would have had a terrible scolding if it was ever her teacher who caught her there with her guard down.

"Are you going to tell me what's on your mind?" he reiterated his question when she did not answer. The redhead stood beside her and picked out a fresh apple from the tray she had been staring at for the past five minutes.

"It's nothing… I was just thinking of Suna," Kyara replied quietly, letting go of her blade, "I just miss this place, is all."

"You miss Suna but you're here, all alone in a stinking market. Shouldn't you be down there, hitting the local bars and partying with old friends or something?" He took a bite off the fruit, ignoring the fruit vendor's intense glare. The old man had been eyeing Kyara suspiciously since she had not moved from the same spot for some time and now Sasori drew on his displeasure.

Kyara smile lopsidedly. "Sasori-kun, you're my only real friend here."

Sasori didn't know how to react to that. Truthfully, his heart felt for her. He was really flattered by her words too but it was wrong of her to think that she was all alone and couldn't trust anyone else. "Okay. So what's really on your mind? It's Gaara-kun, isn't it?"

"I'm trying _not_ to think about him. So don't bring him up again. Ever." She looked away, scowling.

"Jeez, three years and you're acting more like Mutsunagi-san."

Kyara paused. Had Resha-sensei been rubbing off of her?

"If so…" she spoke with all seriousness, "I should be prepared to live a lonely loveless life, childless and married to an indifferent, insensitive man. Then expect to take up with a hopeless clumsy and overly touchy student with a knack for giving me a headache better than any alcohol. My life would be just great that way."

Sasori was giving her the oddest look. She was worse than he thought. Maybe the time and distance had really changed her. But he was not happy how she had turned out into this sardonic pessimist, so unlike the sweet girl he once knew.

"I was kidding!" And she burst into uncontrolled fits of laughter, holding her stomach side as she doubled over. "You should see your face, Sasori-kun! It's so… it's—" She couldn't finish her sentence but the puppeteer did not see any humor in her words. All the more, it added to his concern. He was starting to miss the old Kyara Yukino.

"You're going to be okay, Kyara-chan. You're going to be okay." He smiled so honestly, it twisted Kyara's heart. She had stopped laughing and looked at the stars above that, like Sasori, sincerely lighted the world of darkness. What would she have done without a friend like him?

"Ey! You payin' for that or what?" the old vendor sneered. The redhead puppeteer then good-naturedly handed his money, as if the old man had only reminded him to tie his shoelaces.

"… Thank you," Kyara whispered, almost inaudible from the loud busy place.

"For what?" Sasori was surprised.

The kunoichi looked into the others deeper brown eyes. "For helping me out back then. For being there when I needed someone the most. I don't think I've thanked you enough."

The puppet-master looked far away for a moment. "How about dinner?" he said unexpectedly, taking another big bite from his apple.

It was then Kyara's turn to stare oddly. She didn't understand how the prospect of dinner had come into the conversation.

"Uhm…. Forget it," he swallowed, speaking more to him self, "how about joining me for a walk then?"

"Where to?"

"I need to talk to my supplier about the little delay we're having. If he's still open, that is. His house is just right down this street."

She slid her slender hand under her friend's arm out of habit. But Sasori heedlessly added again as they went along, "Then maybe after, you could take me to dinner."

"W-what? Hey, I thought… you want me to—" Slowly, Kyara got the implication and she flushed a slight shade of pink clearly visible under the street lights.

"I just got out of an A-rank mission and I haven't eaten _anything_. Hope you brought a stuffed wallet because I am starving_._" He patted his belly, which grumbled in response.

The young kunoichi scowled yet pouted. "You're going to make _a lady_ pay for _your_ dinner?"

"Well, you were saying you wanted to thank me for whatever it is you think I've done, so I think taking me out would be the best way to repay me."

"I _did not_ ask you out," Kyara said, indignant.

Sasori's free hand reached for hers and it a squeeze. "Is that how you show your gratitude? Kyara-chan, you're rather being an ingrate."

"You conceited ass!"

"Now, now, Kyara-chan, mind the word. You're sounding more like your sensei too."

The pair went on their way but unbeknownst to them, intense jade-green eyes had been following them within the shadows, a heart's beat had quickened and fists had been clenched so tightly until it felt numb. A regretful soul had been overcame by emotions so rare. And tonight, he found no solace under the pale full moon.


	4. Gaara's new team member

Chapter Four

Monday.

Exactly 700 hours.

At the village gateway.

And "…they're late," a young jounin grumbled to no one in particular.

A few minutes or even half hour tardiness would have been tolerable but a full hour was unforgivable. Gaara of the Sand was beyond irritated. Already his sand was destroying—squeezing, tearing and pulverizing—the nearest possible living thing to sedate his indignation. Pity the little cactus had seen better days.

Ten minutes later, when the red-haired man was about to give up and leave, Kankuro appeared. He was dashing across the rooftops, heading for his direction and right behind him was a slender form of a girl with long brown hair tied by a white ribbon.

"Change of plans, bro," Kankuro said out of breath, dropping down from atop of a building in front of the irate Gaara, "The Kazekage wanted to send Temari to Konoha again. Something about the coming Chunin Exams. It was a last minute decision and I had to find a replacement, that's why we're late."

Green eyes turned to the other standing quietly beside the black-clad puppeteer, who immediately added, "Kyara here is her replacement."

"Ohayo gozaimasu, Gaara-kun," Kyara greeted almost robotically, bowing courteously.

Gaara openly stared at the young kunoichi before answering a moment to late "…hn."

And Kankuro, having not missed that almost-unnoticeable gulp Gaara took before motioning to leave and the girl's deep intake of air when she followed the sand-wielder soon after, he knew that it would be a very long mission.

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Three years ago, there had been a knock on the door at the dead of the night. The puppet-maker had not expected any company and he hadn't been feeling well to entertain any at that time either. A whole day of work in his workshop had drained him completely. He had grudgingly gone for the door and opened it. And standing on his doorstep had been a ragged fifteen-year-old chunin. She had looked weary and pale, her hair unkempt, eyes red and swollen, tears stains on her cheeks and she had been hauling a very large overstuffed bag.

"Kyara, what are you doing here?" Sasori had been alarmed, pulling the door wide open, "what happened?" His exhaustion forgotten in exchange for his concern over a dear friend.

"I-I'm sorry for bothering you tonight, Sasori-kun, but I have no where to spend the night. C-c-could I, perhaps…"

Tears were already falling before she had said any more. She couldn't stop herself from crumbling down and he, as the closest person to a brother, had wrapped his arms around her in a gesture of solace.

That night Sasori had seen the liveliest young girl he had ever met broken and hurt. He had not needed to ask what happened to her for she all but poured everything to him. He had not spoken a word until she finished. It had clenched his heart to see her cry and cry some more until she could not shed another drop. He had tried to cheer her at some point but to no avail. She had fallen asleep on his couch. Not a gentlemanly way to have allowed a girl to sleep there but she had tired her self out and immediately dozed off without him noticing.

The poor girl had looked so serene in her sleep, so lovely under the beams of moonlight passing through his curtained window. He had stood watch over her for a little longer than he had thought. Kyara had informed him that she would be leaving by sunrise and wouldn't be returning for a long time. That had been his last few hours with a good friend and he had been a little remorseful that they couldn't have enjoyed themselves more often. But she was a friend who had needed something else. She had needed comforting from the terrible pain and had he done what a good friend would have done? He didn't think so. He wanted to do something more because he felt that she deserved more.

Now that same girl had turned eighteen and had slept on that very same couch again. And like last time, Sasori had found himself lingering longer than usual, watching her draped awkwardly across the piece of furniture and drooling slightly. But she was beautiful. She had grown and coped with her heartache. She was living her life again. She deserved a better life without pain.

But as he stayed and watched, Kyara involuntarily murmured her heart's secret, "… Gaara."

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"The target's name is Mougin Jion," Kankuro explained, already a little out of breath, "he's originally from Nano country. He's been on our Bingo Book's for quite some time now. S-class missing nin with about 60,000 ryo on his head. Intel told us that he was last spotted in Water heading for Wave country. They also said that his objective was to steal some dead dude's body there."

"A corpse?" the kunoichi reiterated, "What would he do with a corpse?"

"Beats me," he shrugged, "but we'll have to intercept and take him in _alive_ to know why."

Kyara fell silent for a moment, thinking. "Kankuro-nii-san, you said he's S-class. How good is he? I mean, does he have a blood-limit or any special techniques we should be aware about?"

"The Bingo Book describes that Mougin is very proficient in taijutsu and you'll have to watch out. He's not considered S-class for nothin'. The Green Beast of Konoha could even take a run for his money compared to this guy."

"Oh… so why wasn't Konoha given this mission? They're closer to Wave. Won't it be more convenient if Leaf took this job instead?"

"The Chunin Exams. Konoha's been filtering most of the missions they take, so that they could keep their jounin inside the village at that time. And as we're good buddies with the tree-huggers, we take some of their complicating missions."

"It's always a big hassle during the Chunin Exams. I understand why they might want more security this year," Kyara said, feeling a bit proud as being a one-time examiner.

"Nah, those bastards just want an easy way around—"

"Pick up the pace," the red-haired Sand ninja called out to his teammates as he sped ahead through the blistering terrain, "We're behind schedule as it is."

That were the first words he had spoken in three hours after leaving Suna. He was doing it on purpose, Kankuro finally decided with ire. Initially, the black-hooded puppet-master had thought that maybe he just wanted to avoid talking to Kyara, as she was trying to avoid any contact from him. Gaara might even be trying to get back at him for being late. But this was ridiculous! Three hours of nonstop running across the desert, without even a pause to drink was unreasonable! The little lady beside him had been admirably compliant, dashing faster at the word of the team leader. What was going on? Okay, so Kankuro knew the reason for the two's cold behavior and because he knew, it made him more annoyed. He hoped that they won't let personal stuff get in the way of their work.

Fifteen minutes passed and Sabaku no Kankuro realized he did not have the patience of a saint. "Ah, dammit! Gaara, we have to stop!" The black-clad jounin had already slowed stopped and bend over to try and catch his breath.

Kyara came back in a jog. "Are you okay, nii-san?" she asked the puppeteer, panting as well.

"Jeez! Aren't you tired?" he spat, grabbing a decanter of water to drink.

The hazel-eyed girl shrugged an already heaving shoulder, pulling her own water container open. "River country is just right ahead," she said instead, "At this rate, we'll reach it before nightfall."

"Could we move along now?" That was Gaara. Kyara almost jumped out of her skin when he appeared right beside her, sweating yet his breathing seemed normally regulated already.

Kankuro held out his open hand. "Five minutes, bro. Just… damn! Give us five minutes. River's not going anywhere…"

"As team medic, I advise that we do take short rests," Kyara spoke up, collected and all business-like, "it won't be good if we started falling over our feet."

The jinchuuriki openly stared at her but she did not dare return the intense stare, prompting to tighten her thick shawl around her head and face. Gaara shortly grunted his approval however, and turned his back to keep the distance between them. And all that time Kankuro had his mouth hanging ajar.

"You just told him off…" he hissed to Kyara, making his voice low as possible, "damn girl! Nobody has ever made him agree to anything so easily. Not since you two separated."

"But I-I didn't do anything…" Kyara blinked a few times, confounded.

"It's true. Even Temari has a hard time nagging at him but you just…" he made a vague waving gesture of dismissal to the air, "how d'you do that?"

"I do not understand what you're saying, Kankuro-nii-san." But she was already flushed pink in the cheeks. Good thing her gear covered it up.

Now that she thought of it, that behavior had been quite out of the Sand-master's character. The Gaara she knew never took orders from other people lightly; he had always viewed authority with distaste. Baki-san could prove that. And although she only suggested they took short breaks, mentioning her being a medic declares that she had authority over the health welfare of the team. She had opposed to his charge yet he did not protest.

So what did that mean?

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Another four hours had gone by and Gaara had been generous enough to permit a fourthstop just before they actually crossed River Country's boundaries. He really was sticking to Kyara's advice. Kankuro was uncomfortable with the idea of a submissive Gaara but he wasn't contrary with the idea too.

"You know…" Kyara ventured softly, "If he really wants to get across River Country as soon as possible… I know of a faster way we could take." She was eyeing the redhead from the corners of her eye as he stood a distance away; a brooding figure with a very big gourd.

"Where?" Kankuro asked, taking another mouthful of water from his flask.

The brown-haired kuniochi bit her lip before answering, "Suzuki Village."

"Huh?"

"Suzuki Village. It's a little fishing village at the southwestern part of River, bordering Fire. We could take a ship there that could take us across the sea to Honda Bay."

Kankuro took out a tattered map from his pack and laid it on the ground. He traced his finger across the faded and cracked surface of the paper, starting from their current location. "Now we're somewhere here," he murmured, pointing the area near the boundaries of Wind and River Countries. His fingers roved to the tiny printed name of River's Suzuki Village. Honda Bay was the vertex adjoining the Peninsula of Tea to the Fire country. "Suzuki's a proximately 70-75 kilometers off the border and it's way to far south of our intended route."

"I know—"

"Suzuki's a dump." That was Gaara again. When had he acquired enhanced hearing? "Are you intending to ride a fishing boat up to Honda Bay then?"

"Not a fishing boat. But a ship." Kyara dared to look up at him, bold and defiant, on his perch on a rock above them.

The redhead snorted. "Suzuki doesn't even have a port."

"Because the ship I'm talking about is neither for trade nor a commercial liner. And she can't dock on any port either because she's… a pirate's ship."

"Pirates?" Gaara blinked.

"Precisely," was the kunoichi's bold response, smirking and a hand on her hip, "I know them; I could talk them into taking us to Honda Bay. With that we could reach Wave Country in no less than three days rather than the estimated 4-day trek on foot. What do you think?"

Gaara blinked at her again. "No…"

"Ah, come on. This way we could beat Mougin Jion in no time."

"No."

"I think Kyara's idea sounds good," Kankuro intervened, "taking a ship across the Fire Sea would take us a lot faster. We won't even bother with pit stops—"

"I said no," Sand-master said, asserting. "Even if what you're suggesting is… _feasible_, what are the odds that we'd catch these pirates? Are you sure that they're in Suzuki at present and not out to sea, looting some merchant's ship?"

The puppeteer raised a finger, about to argue, but said softly instead, "…point taken."

"I'm _very_ sure they are in Suzuki at the present," Kyara huffed, crossing her arms over ample chest.

"What makes you so certain?"

"Because… because I know these guys. They hadn't set out for quite a long time. Have you heard of _The Mist Raiders_?"

"Not at all…"

"They're not a very popular bunch but they had caused a little trouble for Fire, Tea and Wind several years ago. Although they hadn't roused any real threat, everybody's still watching out for them. My sensei and I once ran into them during a mission. And Resha-sensei… well, let's just say that we parted in good terms with them. If they're not in Suzuki, we would have heard from them by now."

"You're relying on a hunch. It's still all bull to me."

Kankuro and Kyara's were shocked by his adverse language.

"As team captain, I say that we proceed with the planned route." With that the redhead demon-host took off for the direction of River Country.

The brown-haired female ninja's arm dropped down into fists. Never in their short relationship had Gaara cursed in front of her but hearing him direct such a word at her, regarding her suggestions as worthless, was like an unexpected slap to the face—shocking and vile.

"Okay," Kankuro started, rising to his feet, "I take back what I said. He's still a stuck-up brat—"

"No… he's an ass." Nonetheless, Kyara followed behind him. Simmering in her indignation as she was yet she followed her captain.

For the second time in a row, the black-clothed puppet-master's eyes widened. Kyara's behavior was even more surprising than his younger brother's. The Kyara he knew—sweet, shy and polite to a fault—more likely would flinch by the sound of a cursed word let alone utter one. But maybe that was then, before she left for Konoha. This Kyara-chan had guts and perhaps claws too.


	5. stupid love birds!

Chapter Five

It had probably been a week or two after she arrived, she couldn't quite remember after three years, but she remembered perfectly well it had been Valentine's Day when she first felt a bit groggy and feverish. She had passed it as the onset of the flu. Sakura had also been very nice as to give her a bottle of medicine to be sure and Kyara had been thankful for the gesture but seeing as it had been Valentine's Day, her pink haired friend—and every other girl in the village for that matter—had been a bit preoccupied to really mind.

Valentine's Day could almost be considered a festival in Konoha sans a big street celebration—though they do have too many decorations to make up for it. And everybody had been a little too hyped for that day, little girls especially, with their little heart-shaped love notes and their little boxes of homemade chocolates for the little boys. Everything everywhere had been red, pink, bow-tied, glittery or flowery. It spelled a tradition of love, love, love all around.

No wonder I'm feeling ill, she had thought with disgust. Once she had regarded Valentine's Day as welcomed relief from the monotony each day brought but that time around, she had hated it. She had hated the chocolates, she hated the sweet love letters, the decorations, the frilly hearts stuck or hung on every window of every shop, the pink and the red—especially the red colors—the lovers sharing the day together… she just hated everything concerning that day! Because that day had reminded her too much of love and how foolish she had been in love.

Well at least there had been one other person who despised the Day of Hearts. And Resha Mutsunagi-sensei had _really_ despised that day, enough to haul Kyara's ass out into training and kick it for good measures.

"This technique I'll be teaching you is to amplify chakra into an inanimate object," she had started the lesson, scowling, "for this instance, our swords… I'm sure you've heard about this, right?"

"Yeah, sort of," Kyara had answered, unenthusiastic but trying, "like how Kankuro-san uses chakra-strings on his puppets?"

"Not quite. Chakra-string work on different principles but if you guessed Temari with her fan, it would have been correct."

"… shickers." Kyara had begun pulling her hair again, a habit she had been trying to get rid off.

"Now why would we want to do that, I ask you? Why would we want to gather, extend and pass our precious, life-giving charka into our swords' blades when they're already deadly weapons unto themselves?"

"Uh," Kyara had replied almost dumbly, "to make it stronger…?"

"… You sound unsure."

"No… I mean, yes. S-so what else will amplifying swords with chakra do if it's not meant to make them stronger?"

"Idiot, I didn't say that your answer was wrong. I said, you sounded unsure of your answer."

"Oh… I'm sorry sensei." Kyara had hung her head, uneasy. They had only started training but she had already made blunder.

Resha-sensei had held her temple lightly, as if catering the beginning of a headache. "Listen carefully to me, Yukino." The teacher had grunted, "Your uncertainty reflects on you and how you deal with life. Your uncertainty leads to hesitation. You were hesitant in answering my question; will you be hesitant in answering to life's challenges as well?"

"Sensei, I don't… understand."

The teacher had sighed again, irritated. "Kyara, what I'm saying is that you can't always hold yourself back; you can't always have second thoughts. It will only delay the inevitable or make things worse. There will be situations where you have to act fast; lingering too long and you'll lose the opportunities. You have to speak up as well. Answer strong and outright, like you really mean it. You don't have to be afraid of speaking out what's on you mind."

The fifteen-year-old chuunin had listened ever intently. "But what if I'm wrong?" she had asked, though more to herself, "what if… what if I'm just wrong? And I'll just make a fool of my self?"

"You're more of a fool if you keep talking like that. Don't look down on yourself, Kyara. I'd told you before, you're worthy and you have to show it. And as for being wrong… there will be chances of mistakes; everybody's bound to those. And if you do, you have to admit those mistakes and make up for it. But how can you know if you made a mistake when you don't act on it first? You mustn't let fear hinder you from your purpose."

Kyara Yukino remembered that day had started like any other day with her feeling a bit under the weather and feeling entirely alone and miserable on Valentine's Day. But before that day had ended, she had realized something more important that Resha-sensei had been trying to teach her: confidence. It had been the first of many lessons the teacher wanted to integrate in Kyara and in return, the student had kept it in heart ever since then. Confidence was to stand up for what you believe in and to never think of yourself as half of your worth.

That is why, even in the face of the most adverse of enemies or the most intimidating authorities, Kyara Yukino of the Sand could step up, because she is that confident now, and say: "Shickers, you are impossible! You've been pushing us mad across the desert and now that we've set-up camp, can't you at least spare me a few minutes to bathe. _Alone_." And she had said that semi-naked and dripping wet with her blade drawn out and hovering across her team leader's throat.

"You've been taking to long—almost two hours to be certain—for any respectable shinobi in the field," said Gaara, unmoving from his position surrounded by dense foliage in the shadows of the warm evening. Kyara was a little way behind him with her sword and clutching a towel.

Kyara snorted unlady-like. "I would have thought that held a hint of concern from a comrade but, really, I can take care of myself and enjoying a long bath after the _hell_ you put us through doesn't make me less of a respectable shinobi. I would have taken that as an insult too." With that she withdrew her katana and brushed past the tall man to dress and collect her things from the river's shore. It was a very quick moment when her wet bare shoulder made contact with his sleeved one and it was all it took for both parties to become aware that _she_ was half-naked and _he_ was a warm-bodied male. But none ever made it obvious.

"Insult? Now why would you be?" he pressed on, irked.

Kyara turned half-way to regard him a moment, eyes narrowed to try and see him in the dark or to glare, maybe. "_Would have_," she affirmed, "Or, otherwise, I would have thought you came all the way down here to sneak a peek at me. But you're not a pervert, are you?"

Did she even know how she sounded like? She had spoken sardonically leveled but no drop of malicious perversion. She was simply saying what was on her mind, tactless as it was—without a thought how it sounded to another's ear. Any other man would have found this a very… kinky situation but truthfully, Gaara found it a little too irksome. And unlike the others, he did not go gaping at her statement; Gaara schooled his features very carefully.

"Just finish your business and return to camp." And he turned to leave.

Honestly, she was surprising him. The fire he had seen earlier in her golden eyes when he refused to take her suggestion on taking a pirate's ship awed him in its intensity. He had never known her to be an instigator; Kyara was shy and would usually keep things to herself unless somebody goaded it out of her. But that had been long ago, he realized. Gone was the blushing little kunoichi and now this! She had been replaced by another person entirely! He never expected such retorts coming out from her. To spite another with a few witty words was not Kyara Yukino. And she doesn't seem to be fully aware she was spiting him at all.

"So why did you come anyway?"

He stopped on his tracks but did not turn around. It felt like a life time before he spoke again. What was he thinking about?

"… Just hurry up," and he left Kyara in the dark riverbank looking very confused.

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Sabaku no Gaara. What an infuriating man!

What was his deal, coming out to tell her she was 'taking too long'? Why would he care? As far as this mission was concerned, after there aborted relationship, they should be in a no-talking basis at all. Sure they should apply teamwork, that includes concerning for one's teammate and looking out for them but that very brief conversation was… well, it was a little unnerving and it bordered into their personal issues.

Just thinking about him made her want to pull her hair out. "Or maybe I'm just reading him all wrong," Kyara sighed to herself.

"Wrong? What's wrong?" A shadow popped out from behind her and her instinct suddenly kicked in.

An unmanly yelped was heard.

"Shickers! Are you people asking for your death wishes?" Kyara quickly sheathed her sword after seeing who it was.

Kankuro lifted a hand in placation. His other arm was supporting a pile of firewood. "Hehe… cool it girl. Jeez, it's just me."

"Yes. And I could have killed you! Don't sneak up on me again."

"Note very well taken to mind," the black-clad man swore, "so… what the heck were you talking about just now?"

Kyara paused and paled. "Uh, nothing," she murmured, pulling her little bag of necessities closer to her chest, "Just talking to myself, is all."

"Yeah, you got that habit all right. And just a little advice: you should get rid of it. People might think you're crazy or something."

Kyara looked at him, indignant. "… I am not."

"I didn't say you are," he chuckled brushing past her, "but people get the wrong impression sometimes."

The duo returned to camp together. Gaara was already there, sitting against a tree a little ways from the fire with his arms and legs crossed. He was an image of a man totally relaxed and comfortable on his spot. That spot so happens to be right beside her pack. And it ticked Kyara off even more. Of all the places he would think of lounging…

She proceeded to her bag, opened it, pushed her towel and kit inside, and snapped it close. She did all those quickly and without so much as a glance up at him. Kyara then heft her bag, walked a little ways closer to the fire and farther from her ex-boyfriend, dropped the bag and unhooked her bedroll. She spread it opened and squeezed her self in, murmuring a "g'night" to no one in particular before shutting her eyes.

Maybe she had done all those mundane little things too quickly, because her heart had been racing madly in her chest afterwards.

Great. At this rate, she'd never get sleep. Just great.

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Quietness befell the campsite, the occasional squawking of forest faunas and the crackling of fire disturbed it. Kankuro could practically smell the tension radiating from those two. The silence was a little disturbing, if not a little irritating; nobody wanted to speak over dinner earlier. He tried to strike a conversation with Kyara, but the poor awkward girl had been all too aware of the other man's presence to ease up. They had small talks about the mission and the current news regarding the coming chuunin exams and then it eventually led to mushrooms. How that happened, he did not know.

It had been an uncomfortable night and his little brother had been anything but helpful, with his irritating grunts and hums as the only form of response to any of his attempt to converse. Kankuro loved his brother in his own way, but times like this made him want to smack the younger man upside the head… with a mace, preferably.

The evening continued on and none of them was sleeping. The kunoichi was squirming in her bedroll, clearly uncomfortable. Gaara was breathing deeply, almost meditatively, glaring into space but it was clear to Kankuro that his attention was drawn to the only woman within the vicinity. And for puppeteer's part, he simply couldn't sleep with all the tension hanging in the air. Yup, they were going to have a very _very_ long night indeed. Stupid lovebirds!

"So…" he suddenly said from his on confinement in his bedroll, "who's supposed to keep first watch again?"

The kunoichi suddenly sat up from and said: "you are, Kankuro-nii-chan! Just wake me up if it's already my turn. Okay?" then she fell back down.

"Hey…" the puppeteer said pointing at her, "aren't you supposed to be asleep?"

Kyara just closed her eyes and sighed. "It's rude to point, may I remind you, nii-chan. Besides, I can't sleep yet. Oh, and please? Quit making suspicious faces. I'm not hiding anything from you. Jeez!"

The brown-haired girl scoffed, looking away. But when Kankuro went quiet and started to gawk at her, she gave him a mischievous grin and gestured a "peace", saying that she was only kidding.

Kankuro just took a deep breath and shook his head. "You really caught me girl. I thought you were losing it again."

Really, this girl could scare him. It had been only hours, alright. But then he was sure that this young lady could be more of a terror than Temari's threatening voice or his younger brother's intense glares. She had claws alright. She was Resha Mutsunagi's student after all, and it's possible that she had inherited her teacher's traits.

"Nah, get used to it niichan." Kyara said, smiling. "I'm fond of making jokes or even pull a prank on anybody. It's a good exercise, especially when you're stressed out or in an awkward situation."

The puppeteer just sighed and chuckled, nodding. "Yeah, I know that. But you know what? You should get to sleep. I'll wake you up later on."

"Sure, niichan. Three hours of sleep will do. What do you-''

"No, you will remain sleeping." That was Gaara. He suddenly spoke out, which irked Kyara. He really is doing that a lot tonight and the kunoichi was not taking any chances.

"Excuse me? Was I talking to you?" she asked him, sitting up again and scowling. Her pulse and heart beat was quickening, her anger was stirring again.

"As your team captain, I have the right to command whatought to be right." Gaara said coldly, giving her an intimidating gaze. But the young lady wasn't threatened by it.

"And as a team medic, I have the authority to watch over everybody's wellbeing." Kyara stood up now to her full height and faced the stoic shinobi she once called her boyfriend.

"I don't care, I am-"

"You're not listening, are you?!" she scoffed then turned to the oldest shinobi, "Kankuro-nii-chan, tell the _oh-so-great_ team captain that it's best we take turns in sleeping and watching over the camp so that our bodies won't be that exhausted by tomorrow."

Kankuro had been watching the two argue, looking from the one to the other, with his mouth agape. "Well… I…" he was about to say but he couldn't.

"I mean, what if you get sick, Kankuto-nii-chan?" Kyara went on, "We'll _he_ be responsible enough for that?"

"No, tell her to stop acting as if she's the leader of this team." Then Gaara joined in as well, standing up himself.

"Then tell him he shouldn't have interrupted with our discussion in the first place!"

The fuming Shukaku-host glared at her, which she reciprocated with the same intensity.

This girl might as well be an imposter, Gaara thought. The Kyara he knew would not have this spatting game with him like this. She would usually agree with him on anything and everything. Time indeed changes a person.

"I am the-"

"Team captain, I heard you alright," Kyara drawled, raising her hands in deference, "But still, you should have asked our permissions if you are to say something, for that would have been too kind."

"Kind? Do you know what you're saying, Kyara?"

"Yes. I am saying what's on my mind, Gaara."

The man paused. Had he heard right? Kyara had always called him with the filial prefix with his name. "And are you aware that you are doing the same thing as I am?" he asked slowly.

The two had just mentioned each others name aloud. It would have been a nice teasing for Kankuro, if not for their situation. Hearing them say each others name almost made his insides tingle.

"Oh yes, _Gaara_." Kyara said, putting her hands on her waist. "I am fully aware of that and I am doing it on purpose. I am so glad that you've realized that what you just acted was… what do you call that? Rudeness?"

There was a minute of silence between the three and the only sound that could be heard was the crackling of the firewood and the hooting of an owl. Kankuro was thankful for that. Nobody made a sound, not until the black hooded puppeteer broke it up with a deep intake of breath.

"So?" he started. "Could we continue what we have discussed earlier?"

Gaara just gave him a hum and said: "Just tell her to hurry it up and quit wasting her time acting to be a leader."

Kankuro turned to see an enraged Kyara, gritting her teeth. "Well, tell him to shut the hell up and not to join any conversation unless he's being asked!"

Here they go again. Fighting like a married couple, with him in the middle like he was their non-existent son. He had it! He knows that these two had been acting real cold on each other because of _that reason._ But they must stop. Now.

"I AM NOT A MESSENGER HAWK!" he suddenly yelled, "Kyara, go to bed now. I'll wake you later. Gaara, cool your head off."

The two stared at him, both wide-eyed. And for a moment he thought they were just going to stand there, looking at him as if he'd grown an extra head. But they began to move to there respective places in the camp, opposite of the fire.

Kankuro watched them with his own annoyance. He started to massage his temples and watched the burning wood turning into charcoal. It was indeed a very long night. And if he had wished for some liveliness, some action to happen between the two because the silence had been irking him, he had definitely been wrong. Now he wished there could only be peace for the remainder of the journey.

Really. Why couldn't these two just get along? It would be really difficult for them to finish this mission, if there's conflict and tension between these two. Could a break up cause something as worse as this? Love, he thought, it can give you the best and the worst you can be.

Kyara had returned to her sleeping bag but all she did was stir from one side to the other. It was really obvious that she won't be sleeping after that fight. The same case was happening at Gaara's spot. He was stealing moments to take a glance at Kyara's back when his older brother was not looking, though Kankuro knews he was. He was keeping an eye at the two from the corners of his eyes and murmured to himself: "Jeez…these two."

At that moment, he wanted to ask Gaara, why is he being like this—being submissive and sticking to Kyara's advice in the first place was really out of character for the redhead jounin. Gaara never took any suggestions or advices from anyone since they broke up. And why would he be so concerned if the young lady sleeping or not? Hadn't he once said that he doesn't care for her any longer?

He remembered back then that Gaara had always been strict about Kyara's sleeping hours because of her insomnia, but now that they are over, he shouldn't be nagging about it. Did that mean that the sand wielder still cares for his ex-girlfriend? Or maybe he had it wrong. Gaara was their captain after all and he should be concerned about the girl. About them.

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That morning after, the tension building between them can still be felt by the puppet master. They got up, cook and ate breakfast, then packed everything and cleared out camp without as much as ten words to each other. Now they were traversing the trees again, jumping from one branch to the other to cross River Country's vast forests, and still in silence.

It was eerily quiet that he made a fake cough and thought of something to speak.

"Uh…Kyara?" he began. He felt like a moron calling her name without something to say. She was already looking, waiting for him to talk.

"Yes? What is it, nii-chan?" Kyara asked confused.

"Uhmm…about our mission. Well…uhmm…he could have sidekicks with him…that's a possibility, right?"

He felt a relief from his stomach, as if a heavy material had just got off from him.

"Sidekicks? Hmm…" the kunoichi thought, putting a finger on her lip. "Well, that's possible. Every ninja has two members with him, isn't it? But we still have to find it out. Who do you think they are?"

"Don't know. But I'm hoping that he'll be alone. We could just take him off in one blow." Kankuro said with pride.

But Kyara tapped his shoulder and said, "nii-chan, did you forget that he's an S-class ninja? We should watch out."

"I know." The puppet master said coolly, "but if he has sidekicks, I'll be enough to take them on my own."

Both chuckled and continued talking.

Behind them was their captain, who seemed to be staring at them for years. But he was actually staring at the white ribbon tied on the young lady's hair. To avoid early fighting, he hummed loudly and said: "Excuse me. You still got that ribbon?"

It was just right in time for him to ask because, the three of them stopped for a while for their first short rest. Kyara just glared at him and answered: "What do you care about my ribbon?"

Gaara just looked at her impassively and simply answered: "I gave it to you, right? Shouldn't you be throwing it away?"

The toffee-haired girl just gave him another glare and looked away. Why does he keep on nagging her anyway? He should stop that because it's making Kyara irk and mad. And it's not a very wise move to make someone mad at this early hour.

"Just leave it alone. It's not doing any harm on you." She said robotically and started walking. But her ex-boyfriend was approaching her, reaching for the ribbon on her soft hair.

"Give it to me. I'll throw it for you."

"Oh, what the hell is your problem? And what makes you think that this is the same ribbon that you gave? This one is new, for your information. That ribbon you gave? I've thrown it away already. So quit looking for it. I got rid of it as soon as I've arrived id Konoha."

Honestly, Gaara was taken aback. Usually, Kyara would never throw away presents or anyone else because, she values them so much. But now, why is it that of all the gifts she had, why would she trash the ribbon he gave?

"Just let me look at it."

He pressed on. But Kyara just ignored him and continued walking. She's having a hard time controlling her temper but, if Gaara will keep on nagging…

"Leave me alone, Gaara." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, hands were shaking with irritation. She told herself to calm down or else, their mission will be more delayed.

On the other hand, Gaara kept quiet but without any warning, he reached for the kunoichi's ribbon. Kyara however, shot her hand by instinct at her captains own hand. At the moment, Gaara's hand was imprisoned at hers but let it go in just a second. Both felt the rushing heat and impulse but ignored it.

The young lady then gave him a shot and said: "I'm really, _really_ trying to hold my temper. Please don't let it get to a point where I could say terrible things at you. I am respecting you as my leader…and have you heard of the word, 'sexual harassment'?"

The sand-master just stared at her, expressionless and stone faced. But then again, she amazes him. Kyara would never say harsh things on anyone she knew, or even lose her temper that fast. The girl he knew was very patient and nice to people and won't even utter bad things at them.

"You know, you've really changed,"he mumbled backing away from them.

That was an accident! It just slipped on his tongue without meaning to. But then it was too late. It was Kyara's turn to rebuke.

"Huh! You were the-!"

Kyara wasn't able to complete her sentence when Kankuro interfered between them, "Guys! Don't get that personal stuff get in here!"

They started to walk away without a fuss. Just then, an idea came up to the puppeteer's mind. An idea that was so devious and so foolproof it had to work. He smirked as he caught up with his team.


	6. suppresed feelings

Hello there guys! Sorry it took a long, long time for us to add chapter six. I was busy with my exams and lessons in school. With all that research and studying, I couldn't find a time to edit. Anyways, it doesn't matter. Chapter six is here and...well...enjoy!

P.S.

Blueberry-chan, thank you again for reviewing!

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Chapter Six

"Hmm…" a sigh of boredom escaped from Sunagakure's Master Puppeteer Sasori.

It had been almost a week since Kyara bade him goodbye for her mission to Wave Country, with Kankuro and her ex-boyfriend Gaara. He had gripped his hands with the thought of her leaving with the man who once hurt her so terribly. But then, she was older now, not the little girl who used to be so soft-hearted and shy and dependent. Kyara had grown up to be a strong, smart and tough young woman. She could take care of herself.

"I shouldn't be worrying about her this much," Sasori told himself quietly, holding a peculiar puppet in hand for repair, "she knows what she's doing…"

He should be returning to his current job, he knew that. But since Kyara left, he found himself idling and backlogging on projects and paid work. He wasn't just worried; he missed the kunoichi so badly. It had irked him more when Kyara told him about the mission.

Sasori remembered that day, last week…

_He had seen her in a rush to get to her house. "Hey, Kyara-chan-!" he had called her from across the street._

"_I'm sorry, Sasori-kun," she had said, still running, "I can't go to lunch with you. The Kazekage gave me an abrupt mission!"_

"_Who're you going with?" Sasori had yelled back before Kyara was lost from hearing range._

"_Gaara-kun and Kankuro-nii-chan!"_

_The sound of Gaara's name had made him follow her, though not realizing until he was about standing in front of Resha-sensei's door. How had he ended up there? He hadn't even noticed. He had been so caught up in his thoughts… and the fact that Kyara had unconsciously called the sand-wielder with the familiar suffix to his name, a sign of her lingering affection for the other man._

_Sasori had realized to compose himself, act as if he had not just run after the young woman. But he hadn't been all composed. He had been slightly panting for breath, shoulders heaving up and down._

_Inside the house, he had heard the kunoichi murmuring things about 'a long awkward mission' and he knew it was all about Gaara. Right then he had known Kyara was not ready for this and the reality that she was about to face that man again made him all the more weary._

_He hadn't noticed then that he had been staring at a sleeping dog for quite some time. He hadn't even noticed when Kankuro had arrived and stepped up to his side before he felt a tapping on his shoulder._

"_What are you doing here, Kankuro?" he had asked, voice bored though he was actually more irritated by the other puppeteer sudden appearance. _

"_I should ask you the same question. What are you doing here?" Kankuro had asked back._

"_Waiting for Kyara. Ask her about the rushed mission the Kazekage gave. And you?"_

"_I'm here to pick her up," the black-clad shinobi had answered, "Gaara is waiting and he'll surely kill me this time. It's almost seven o'clock, we're late as it is… Kyara! Hurry up there!"_

_A loud thud had been heard from upstairs and for a moment the thought of rushing upstairs had passed through the two males' minds. And then, "LET HIM WAIT!" The kunoichi's voice had resounded, unexpectedly louder than someone yelling from a floor above them, "I don't care if _he's_ been waiting an hour or the entire day! You just slapped into me this mission, how could you expect me to get things pack upon on such short notice?! Shicker!"_

_The two shinobi had stared openly at where Kyara was supposed to be above them._

"_She heard that?" Kankuro had whispered, "I didn't know she had that kind of hearing capacity."_

"_I didn't know she had that kind of vocal capacity either," Sasori had whispered back, "I swear I felt the walls shook."_

_Moments later, the ruffled kunoichi had come out with her pack, scowling and cursing. "This is unbelievable…" she had murmured when her things spilled out of her bag._

"_I'm sorry about it but I didn't have any other choice, did I?" the younger puppeteer had apologized, picking up her toothbrush for her._

_Kyara had taken a deep sigh, received the toothbrush from him. "It's not about the mission, nii-chan…" she had said, "it's just…" but she did not continue, waving it off with her hand._

"_It's Gaara-kun." The redhead Sasori had stated, leaning his back on the wall. "Now why would you be awkward around him?"_

_Kyara had instantly blushed and pouted, looking away. "I'm not!" her voice had become unusually whiny and high-pitched, "and it's rude to butt in on a conversation, Sasori-kun. Did you know that?"_

"_Excuse me for interrupting but… I know you are nervous. I can tell."_

"_Shut up! I'm not treating you for lunch again… argh! You conceited ass…"_

"_Hey, mind your words…" Sasori had held a reproaching finger. His face had softened immediately however. "Don't worry, Kyara-chan," he had said, smiling, "you're gonna be all right around him."_

_He had reached to hold her hand and smiled at her with all sincerity in his eyes. Kyara could not have stayed mad with his smile and concern. She had felt a little more relaxed by then and smiled as well. "Thanks, Sasori-kun…" she had said quietly._

"_Just remember, you don't have to hold back what's on you mind. If you want to say it, let it all out like you mean it. Okay?"_

_By that moment, Kankuro had suddenly made a loud "ahem!" that made Kyara glare at him._

"_All right, fine. We're late, I know…" she had said sourly. "Goodbye, Sasori-kun. See you after the mission."_

"_You take care…" the redhead had said quietly, to which Kyara had given him a quick yet sudden smack on the cheek._

"_Let's go, Kankuro-nii-chan!" _

_And they had left without seeing Sasoru blushing madly himself and standing so still in front of Resha-sensei's house._

Kyara, lovely young Kyara Yukino, had given him a kiss…

Now that he was thinking about it in retrospect, the young woman had been special to him ever since. She was always there for him through good times and bad. She had helped him to be accepted by the villagers again and supported him all through out when everything seems to be so hopeless. She was his little inspiration; his little clown, who would always make him smile and laugh when he felt so alone and broken; his family when he need someone to be with.

Kyara was… in a way, she was his everything. It was almost saying that he has _feelings_ for the girl…

"I shouldn't be like this…" he told himself quietly.

Feelings for Kyara would only complicate matters. He was like a big brother to her; Kyara had always said so. It would be something of incest if ever he confesses to her. But most importantly, Kyara still obviously has deep affections for a particularly other man and she certainly does not have that kind of affection for Sasori himself.

"I must not ask for more…"

Nothing more than friendship. Nothing more than sisterly love from the young woman he was certain to be in love with.

He stood up heavily and began gathering pieces of a puppet's torso overdue for repair only to be tucked away at the back room for another day. Because, no matter how hard he tries to school his features or keep himself busy, it was still hopeless when one Kyara Yukino was ultimately burned on his heart and mind.

--

Six days of traveling to Wave Country was such a pain for Sabaku no Kankuro… in the very literal sense.

His beloved little brother and the sweet-but-now-toughen-up kunoichi had barely spoken to each other since they left and now that they had arrived, he was hoping that they could finish this up—whatever they had going on to make them act like they want to rip each other's throats anyway.

But he has a plan. It wasn't final yet and he intended to use it as the last resort. If only they would start fighting again… though, not that he intentionally want them berating one another. No, they are two important people for Kankuro. But the antsy little bastard in him would just want to see his little plan succeed.

At the moment, the trio was walking quietly down a mist-covered road. Kyara was silently scowling at the red-haired man she was currently following while Gaara, though as blank as a sheath of paper, was visibly tensed on the shoulders as well. The black-clad puppeteer was witness to all of the quiet but deadly tension building up and he found it quite irritating.

Such a pain. He was having migraines because of it.

Gaara was supposed to be the team leader for this operation—speaking out battle strategies, pinpointing important locations, prep talking them and all the crap team leaders should be doing—but all his little brother had been doing was nodding and giving vague grunts. The kunoichi, on the other hand, was acting awkward around them. Whenever she wanted to speak up, she would just change her mind and shush up.

They were getting into Kankuro's nerves!

"Hah!" Kyara suddenly exclaimed, breaking Kankuro out of his annoyed thoughts. She was hurrying up the path to the mouth of a paved bridge. "Look over there; see? I told you guys it was true! This bridge is called 'The Great Naruto Bridge'!"

Kankuro and Gaara read the giant billboard sign and were a little taken aback.

"So that little twit was telling the truth after all," Kankuro said quietly to himself.

After gawking at Naruto's name, they proceeded to cross the great bridge that led to the main island of the archipelago of Wave Country. Finally they had reached their destination.

There was fog in every step they take. The housing district is far too different in Sunagakure, where the houses are located at a closed range with in. At Wave country, their houses are far from each other. Maybe a meter or two. The climate is fair and trees could be seen everywhere. Kyara thought that this is just like Konohagakure, except that the houses are not that colorful and attractive.

They went from one family to another but no such luck. It would seem that no one in the small town had seen or heard of one Mougin Jion.

The last person they had spoken to, a fisherman by the docks had laughed at them and called them lewd names. "Shickers!" Kyara yelled, very irritated by their predicament. She kicked an unattended wooden bucket, sending it rolling. A cat then cried from a distance. "People in this village are not only clueless but rude as they can be!"

"Yow, Kyara-chan…" Kankuro said, gaping at the direction where the cat ran into, "relax, okay? We don't want to draw much attention to ourselves, now do we?"

The kunoichi just glared and looked away, saying, "Maybe it's better if we find a good place to stay for the night. It's already getting dark."

"Well… where do we stay? They don't have a kage in this village to report our purpose, nor an official head of authority for that matter. Nobody's going to accommodate us here." Kankuro looked at Gaara's direction, seeking for a decision, but the 'Sandman' seemed to be too interested at staring aimlessly at the orange skies.

"Whatever suits you." They heard him say and he didn't so much look at his subordinates.

Kyara gave an annoyed huff and Kankuro sighed, "So it's camping out again…"

With that all decided and agreed upon, they went to set up camp. At this rate, the puppeteer has to initiate his plans. But how? Those two lovebirds had been so cold with each other as of late and…

"That's it!" he suddenly snapped.

Gaara had drawn out his sand. Kyara had already took a fighting stance, pulled out two kunai by her left hand and her right gripping the handle of her katana.

"Whoa…" Kankuro breathed, holding up his hands.

"Kankuro-nii-chan?!" Kyara exclaimed, almost whining, "What was that for?"

"Sorry. Did I startle you? It was nothing… hehehe…" he answered dumbly.

Kyara hid her kunai back to their holster but she was eyeing him suspiciously, as if she was reading his mind. This made him self-conscious, forcing a huge sheepish smile for the kunoichi. "Kyara-chan?" he asked tentatively, "your teacher taught you about reading another's mind, right?"

"Yeah…" she answered cautiously.

"So you're like…" he paused and continued with odd gestures, pointing at his own head and at Kyara.

"Huh?" Kyara bunched her face in confusion.

"Doing it now?" Kankuro finished.

"Oh! I'm not reading your thoughts, if that's what you're asking."

"… Okay. That's good." Relief was written all over his painted face but as to why, Kyara did not bother to ask.

"This spot is good enough." Gaara suddenly spoke from a distance. They hadn't noticed him until then.

They dropped their bags and sat for a while. Then, the black-hooded puppet-master went to gather fire wood and maybe think up of a better plan for his 'special' mission.

Kyara was then left with a stoic Gaara. Kankuro knew all too well she would be ticked off and extract just vengeance for brewing up such things.

As he picked up dried twigs and chopped off loose branches, his scheme came in clearer view. He knew it would work! Although, he had never used it on anyone before but skill-wise, he was confident with this newly developed technique. It was how those two might react after, he was worried about.

--

Sitting against an olive tree, Sabaku no Gaara took a deep breath and tried to relax his mind. Actually he was trying to think of a better plan to defeat Mougin Jion but then, something—or perhaps a certain 'someone'—was interfering with his deliberations. Not to mention, _she_ was currently situated opposite his.

He could not help but think of her actions and words over the last five days. Kyara had been loud, brash even and took a confident stride. She had argued with him, she even threatened him and placed a sharp blade at his throat to prove she was every bit as deadly as her words. Had that really been her? He doubted, however. A person couldn't change that much in character.

But then, he had not seen nor spoken to her for three years. What did he expect? He broke up with her for goodness' sake! He knew how much he had hurt her feelings and Kyara was just… she eventually, had to cope with that pain and move on. He didn't matter to her anymore, that is why she couldn't stand being around him for very long.

She hated him.

And he deserved every bit of that hatred.

The incident three years ago was still fresh on his mind. He could still remember how his girlfriend looked like when he told her everything between them was over. She had been broken and hurt. He knew she had bled heavily inside. She had done everything, even pleaded with him, just to take back his words. But he had ignored her. He had pulled away from her like she was some piece of trash and all he had seen was nothing but pain, loneliness and uselessness in the young girl's wet and swollen eyes. He had seen how she had settled her surrender and left him there in an open park.

That was how he remembered Kyara—kind to anyone's fault, even when if it already hurt her so much.

"Hey!"

Gaara suddenly snapped out of his sodden reverie. Kankuro was back from the woods and was staring at him oddly.

"What?" the younger man asked coldly.

"Kyara-chan just wanted to-"

"You have my permission. Go." Gaara said curtly, looking the other way. It was downright rude and snobbish, and anyone would have been offended. But who in their right mind would heed proper manners when she would not even ask for whatever it was she wanted to do by her own accord?

The kunoichi on the other hand, took off for the river without fuzz. Her hair, once just sweeping her shoulders had now grown to full length, reaching the small of her back. It was smooth and soft and almost black in the glowing dusk. It bounced as she swayed out of view. Swaying in rhythm of her steps and her hips… and those creamy thighs…

"Ah, the _view_ is just so beautiful, isn't it, brother dearest?" Kankuro suddenly teased.

Gaara gave him one of his intense sideways glares that could have intimidated even the most dense of creatures. Kankuro, however, seemed to have acquired an immunity to any form of his killing intent as of late.

"You know," the older brother continued, "Kyara-chan once told me that you should speak more or else you develop _halitosis_."

Still, silence met him.

"Are you just going to sit there and be all broody and quiet?" Kankuro chided, already irritated by the redhead's refusal to respond, "Come on, Gaara! Speak up! I'm your brother, not Kyara."

Slowly, the young jinchuuriki turned his head and regarded him, saying, "What do you want me to tell you, Kankuro?"

"Whatever is on your mind for starters," Kankuro quickly took a casual air about him. He stepped aside, finding a comfortable spot on the ground and sat cross-legged.

"Why the hell do you want to know?"

"Because this is bull, Gaara. I know you wanted to tell me something. What's stopping you?"

"I told you before: there's nothing bothering me. If there is, step out of it. I can handle it on my own."

Gaara then stood and left.

Kankuro shook his head. His younger brother had done it again: walk out of a serious conversation. Gaara must have known he would have gotten a whole lot of nagging from Kankuro—which Kankuro did not often do because nagging was a form that only Temari had gotten down into an art.

"But you can't get away from me _that_ easily, _dear baby brother_," the older shinobi murmured. Unbeknownst to Gaara, Kankuro had attached a single undetectable chakra string on each of his arms and shoulders. "… not this time."

Suddenly, Gaara stopped walking.

Oh, shit! Kankuro panicked, mentally cursing profanely. Did Gaara feel his chakra strings? How could he when Kankuro had already mastered and perfected this jutsu? Damn, he must have slipped up-

"Why do you really want to know?" Gaara asked, looking back behind his shoulder.

Sabaku no Kankuro, who had gone pale and sweaty behind all the facial paint, visibly relaxed. He chuckled to himself, knowing it was a close call. "Because I could sense you still care so much for Kyara," he said instead.

The two stared at each other for a moment. Then, Gaara took a deep breath and repeated his question with more seriousness and sincerity, "do you _really_ want to know?"

--

It was almost eight in the evening. Suna's marketplace was growing quieter as most stores and stalls were closing. Vendors were tallying their income for the day and some were cleaning up for the next.

Today had been a very busy for most and Sasori had not been excluded. He had been selling a lot of toys and repaired half a dozen puppets in his shop. It drained him out! However, even as everyone was planning to welcome a quiet evening for dinner and sleep, Akasuna no Sasori was still seen walking down the streets towards the direction of the Kazekage's office.

He had been a little suspicious about Gaara ever his sudden decision of breaking up with Kyara. There had been something wrong on that fateful day the young kunoichi left for the Village Hidden in Leaf. For one reason and an obvious one for that matter: Gaara's irrational behavior. Why would anyone severe a relationship that had brought them ultimate joy and love? He had undeniably fallen for the girl but then, out of the blue, he called in off for no apparent reason at all.

Secondly, it was so convenient for the situation that Resha Mutsunagi-sensei was abruptly given a mission to Konohagakure that lasted three years, dragging Kyara along with her. Any shinobi of the village was so used to on-the-spot assignments and he, himself, had been given longer long-term missions but Sasori was nonetheless suspicious of this. Who heard of a ninja academic and training exchange program that lasted three whole years? Even if it was for the strengthening of trust between the two allied hidden villages, three years was too long.

Lastly, and this was what had made him have a sneaking suspicion to begin with: it was Gaara coming back to the gates of Sunagakure all bloody and torn just hours after Kyara left. Now, any sane person privy to the circumstances would have asked: 'how'd that happened?' Sasori had walked up to Gaara even and asked himself. But all that had met him was a cold shoulder. After which he did not press any farther.

It all did not make sense for the master puppeteer. How could someone break up with his girlfriend and eventually come back a bloody dying mess? Unless another person caring for Kyara's sake had taken it unto himself to place just retribution for her; of which, Sasori had to admire for such daring as to take down _the_ Gaara of the Sand when he, himself, could not have done so.

But that was impossible. The kunoichi, as Sasori had known, was an orphan, though she was very amicable with most people. Who among her friends was such a person who would have had enough power to take on Gaara? Who such person was insane enough to take on Gaara for that matter?

It all did not add up, leaving Sasori with a lingering feeling of confusion and doubt for all those years. He had not bothered himself for long, for he did not find it in him to concern himself with such matters of the heart. But now that a certain feeling for a certain kunoichi had been realized so recently, Sasori has more motivation to take the initiative of discovering the truth behind it all.

Sasori reached the Kazekage's office, knocked tentatively before entering but only to be told off by his secretary that kage was currently engaged with a client. After a few minutes of waiting, he wasted no time when the Kazekage asked for him.

"Kazekage-sama," the shinobi bowed before his leader upon entering his domain," I know it's late but I… I wanted to ask you about that night when Gaara _dumped_ Kyara." Sasori, then and there, proclaimed his intentions, placing special emphasis on the word 'dumped'. He did not want to beat around the bush; he wasn't up to fooling around.

The old Kazekage was staring at him, longer than was favored; first with utter surprise at his nonsensical and demanding tone of voice and then a guarded calculating look for the implications of his one question.

"What made you think such things, Sasori?" the great kage asked slowly.

"Because I saw Gaara that afternoon, after you've sent off Resha-sensei and Chuunin Kyara to the Village Hidden in Leaf… and he had been close to death," Sasori answered with all solemnity. "From what I've gathered, he had been sent on a mission the night before. Solo. Unclassified. And strictly confidential."

Now the Kazekage was outright glaring at him. "That is none of you business, Sasori. It is top secret and only I am privy to it."

"It's not much of a secret though and I had figured a few things out. I just need to be confirmed. I don't want to be rude, Tomoe-sama, I have to know what happened."

The old man sat back on his high chair. "I did not take you to be a meddlesome brat," he murmured, loud enough for the other to hear.

Sasori shrugged his shoulders.

"Why?" the elder shinobi asked quietly.

"Because I can't stand to see Kyara being fooled at." Sasori did not even miss a beat, truth and sincerity laced in his voice, "She has the right to know what happened three years ago. You are the missing piece of the puzzle, Tomoe-sama. And I am certain you had a hand behind it all."

The Kazekage hesitated for a moment. The puppet-master was so keen to know. Persistent meddlesome brat…

The old shinobi took a deep breath. "This…" he began, "this might take a while. Would you like some tea?"


	7. stupid kankuro!

**hi there guys! Sorry it took long for us to publish chapter 7. with all the exams, project and duty coming out all at the same time, we just have to set it aside for a while, don't we? Hehehe..so here goes chapter 7..enjoy reading!**

**DAMN REGRETS**

(Gaara's Stupid Mistake)

Chapter Seven

It had almost been an hour since the brunette had taken her bath. She had finished her cleansing rituals as quickly as she could, but instead of heading back to her team, she contemplated to stay a little longer in the cool soothing waters. There was no reason for her to rush actually. The boys could wait, couldn't they? They weren't anything like Resha-sensei when waiting for her. Kyara was lucky anyhow, for if it was her teacher, she would have had a terrible scolding.

But then, Gaara was worse. He could come and get her again and then nag at her for being so negligent and stubborn. She didn't want to have another spat with him, not when she was still stark naked and dripping wet. Then again, the first time she _had_ been stark naked and dripping wet!

Half-heartedly, Kyara left the waters of the riverbank and gotten dressed, urging herself to hasten the pace. She was half jogging on her way back to the little campsite in the midst of the woods. Gaara was in the process of leaving –perhaps to look for her again—but caught sight of her returning in haste. And he was peeved by the looks of him.

Kyara ignored him and the glare he was shooting at her. Brushing past him to her pack, she was set to prepare her beddings. The one-tailed bijuu-host, however, was still giving her that intimidating look.

"If you're giving me that look because I stayed out too long again, stop it," she snapped, tossing her bedroll inside the tent...

"You've done it twice, Kyara. Don't push you luck-"

"Oh, don't worry; next time I decide to take a bath, I'll bring you along with me," the kunoichi scoffed, waving him off. She turned to duck behind her tent and take some much needed rest and peace of mind but Gaara wasn't through however.

"You never listen, do you?" he said in his usual monotone.

"I was just taking a _bath_, for goodness' sakes!" Kyara dropped her hand from reaching for the tent flap. "What is so wrong with that?"

"You're just stubborn to listen to orders."

"But what about you, _Captain_ Gaara?" she spat back, "do you take suggestions or opinions at all? As far as I've known you, you've never been like that. So it's really just pointless to argue with you."

Kankuro suddenly appeared, seemingly out of nowhere and carrying more firewood with him. "Hey, guys," he said, dropping the pieces of wood on a pile he already made, "you fighting again?"

Gaara began, "I was just telling her to-"

"Well, I'm telling _you_ to mind you own business!" Kyara suddenly yelled at the redheaded man.

He had had it! Gaara's patience could not take her attitude any longer. He couldn't stand this new girl, who spat and cut him off.

"Do _not_ push your luck Kyara," his voice grew dangerously low.

"Or what, huh?" Kyara retorted, "You can't even do it. You're just… you're, argh! This is pointless!" Kyara suddenly threw her hands up in the air and walked away. She so wanted to call him 'a stuck up, insensitive brat' but found herself more frustrated.

"Don't you turn your back—"

Kyara only stopped and stomped the ground. "Why am I even trying to put up with you?! I wasn't even supposed to be here!"

"Because you'd rather prance around with Sasori-"

As soon as the name escaped his lips, everything went still. Kankuro audibly gulped. He knew things were heading for the worse. "Uh… guys?" he tried to interfere but was left unnoticed.

"What does Sasori-kun have to do with any of this?" Kyara spoke, voice hushed.

Gaara's face flinched. He looked at the side, crossing his arms. "My point is… you'd rather idle around, doing nothing, taking long baths when you know too well we are currently on an important mission."

Kyara could not believe what he was saying. "Are you calling me I'm lazy?"

"It's rather you being simply too stubborn, too brash and insubordinate to your leader. Most of the time, you have your head in the clouds and not focusing on the task at hand. And you call yourself a ninja."

"How dare you…" Kyara said, indignant. Her fists were clench tight and trembling.

"Guys…" Kankuro spoke up a little louder but was still completely ignored.

"You said so yourself," Gaara continued, "you weren't supposed to be here."

"That's because _you_ incited me to think coming to this assignment was a total mistake!"

"Is it me? Or is it rather you itching to get home for your little dinner dates?"

"What are you talking about?!"

"You very well know what I'm talking about."

Kyara paused, staring dubiously. "Sasori-kun has nothing to do with this…" she said slowly. She was visibly shaking with rage. "And how the _hell_ did you know about _that_?"

Now Gaara was caught without words.

And surprisingly, Kyara was not bursting out of her skin. She slowly placed a hand on her hip and shifted her weight to one leg. "Spying around, aren't we?" she sneered.

"No," Gaara said defensively, keeping a steady glare at the kunoichi.

"How did you know about it then?"

The red haired jichuuriki kept silent and looked the other way. Then within a flash, an enraged Yukino had appeared before him, gripped his front and pulled him down to her level. Tall as he was, he had to stoop down a bit to meet her eyes.

"You have no right…" she said acidly, her face merely inches to his, "Sasori-kun is my best friend. He has been a wonderful companion to me, someone who truly helped me when I'd been in desperate need. So whatever I do with him—whatever _we_ do together—it is none of you concern. And if I ever went out with him, you've got nothing to say about it. You have no right, whatsoever. So stay out of my business."

With a final shove, Kyara pushed away from him, stomping off to her tent.

And then Gaara said the most inconceivable: "I don't want you going out with him."

The kunoichi went very very still for a moment. Had she heard him right? It must have been snowing back in Suna because she could not have heard him say those words.

"What?" Kyara asked, barely a whisper. She slowly turned around to regard him. "What did you say?"

Gaara was glaring. "I said…" he reiterated slowly, "that I don't want you going out with Sasori."

Kyara blinked, still unbelieving. How dare him! How could he have the gall to meddle with her personal life? Who does he think he is? He was just a former lover, nothing more. He broke it off with her! So does he think that just because he had once owned her heart, Kyara was deemed as some sort of property he still owned? Like an old family house one simply neglected but did not want others to utilize?

"D-don't you be telling me what to do with my life!" she stuttered. She was trembling uncontrollably all over. She was almost beyond mad.

Meanwhile, another neglected presence was thinking to himself: _It's all getting good, but really… this has to end soon._ And with a flurry of hand seals: "bird, horse, dragon, bird, dog, snake, boar, hare, bird, tiger, bird…"

Still unbeknownst to the two quarrelling ex-lovers, Sabaku no Kankuro cried his ultimate technique: "Sunagakure's Hidden Style: KANKURO'S UBER-FANTASTIC, MEGA-POWER, SUPERLATIVE, EXTRA-LARGE, JUMBO COMBO, TO THE HIGHEST LEVEL… EVER… HOLY BINDING OF LOVER'S HANDS NO JUTSU! WAAAAAA!"

This actually made both enraged ex-lovers stop and stare at him oddly, as if he had transformed into something weird and embarrassing.

"Uh…" Kyara said, dumbfounded, "what was that?"

Kankuro was grinning ear to ear however. He had been practicing on that particular justu on various objects and such but never outright utilized it on the battle field. "That should work on you two," he said simply, waiting.

No sooner, Gaara's left hand began quivering all on its own. Kyara just so happened to be on the very same situation: her right hand to be exact was slowly moving on its own accord.

"w-what's going on?" Kyara asked, panicky. Her right hand was lifting up without her control. Gaara was trying to hold his own left hand down, clenching his wrist with his right. "Nii-chan! What did you do?" Kyara was beet red with anger.

Kankuro was snickering on his corner of the world, witnessing the distress that himself had caused on the two ex-lovers. Their arms and hands were jerking and twisting violently, until they came together—fingers entwined together tightly. Both Kyara and Gaara's faces bloomed to violent shades of pink.

"You!" Kyara finally recovered, pointing an accusatory finger at the black-clad puppet-ninja, "I swear, in the name of kami, I am going to kill you, Kankuro! Dispel this jutsu now!!!"

"Nope, I don't think I'll do that. Not for a long while anyway," the puppet shinobi said cheekily.

"Bastard! Get this off!" Kyara was so red and angry, she could have exploded.

"You heard me, Kya-chan," he continued teasingly, waving an index finger in the air, "I'm not gonna do it… it'll take all the fun out of it."

"Fun? You call this _fun_?"

"Hmm…" he held a finger to his lips, as if in serious thought, "yep, definitely! Lot's of fun seeing you two so _stuck_ with each other."

"Why you!"

"You just have to work it out, Kya-chan. Both of you."

At the word 'both', Kyara mistakenly turned her eyes of the man she was currently holding hands with. And Gaara was looking back blankly from the corner of his eye. He had a faint blush on his face, but other than that, he was calmly still.

"What?!" snapped Kyara back at the puppet shinobi.

"Uh… we're out of firewood," he suddenly claimed, though there was still a pile by his feet, "I'll go get more. Bye!"

And he was gone in a flash, leaving behind an enraged kunoichi and a dumbfounded jinchuuriki. Alone. Alone in the middle of nowhere, with the fire crackling pleasantly and with hands still entwined. The poor girl anxiously tried to pry their hands open, using her chakra control, but came out with nothing. She tried again but Kankuro's jutsu was so… stuck. She jerked her fingers but it just won't open.

"It's useless, Kyara," Gaara suddenly said, in a low voice. One which made her skin flush even more. "Kankuro is the only one who could break this jutsu."

He attempted to sit down but, seeing that the young lady beside him did not have a clue what he was about to do, he nudged her down with him.

"I don't feel like sitting," she said with a tone that would have suggested that she did not want to even be near him.

"You really don't have a choice here," he shrugged, "But I you really want, be my guest. Stand there for the entire night."

"En… entire night?" she repeated in a weak voice. She had an odd look about her face that made Gaara worried suddenly. "You mean…" she looked down at their conjoined hands, "you mean, we could be staying like this the entire night?"

Gaara blinked at her. "If Kankuro decides not to release his jutsu anytime soon, then yes we could probably be sleeping together like this."

"Sleep together!" she squawked. Face turning so red she could have been a beet vegetable.

Gaara blinked dubiously at her again, but then turned his head to the other way. He understood her clearly. Kyara held too much loathing for him that she probably abhor hearing his name, much less hold his hand and sleep beside him. It… pained him, actually.

"We can't stay like this the entire night!" the girl continued to shriek, "Kankuro! You get you're ass back here and take this off! Kankuro!"

With a final whining sound, Kyara dropped herself to the ground—a good distance from Gaara as to not make further contact that what their hands had already done. Alone in the campsite with their hands joined together. His strong, warm hand entangled with hers. All awareness had concentrated on just that part of her anatomy, sending tingling, electrifying sensation up her arm and neck and down to her wildly throbbing heart.

She dared not look at his direction, though it made no use for he was all she could think of at the moment. Some memories flashed back in her mind, remembering the last time she held his hand like this was the night they lost their… _relationship_. She had held them so tightly within hers while she pleaded in front of him. Her eyes sting at the memory that was still so vivid in her mind. But she stopped herself.

That was three years ago, she shouldn't be thinking about what happened that night. Gaara probably did not even bother himself with it, she thought. I'm stronger now, she told herself mentally, a Jounin of Sunagakure who can stand up on her own feet without fear. Or was she?

_--_

The rain started to fall on their campsite. The fire wood Kankuro ignited earlier went out. The black-hooded shinobi was sleeping soundly despite the rain water that has started dripping in his tent. Hope that he won't catch a cold because of it.

Gaara and Kyara on the other hand shared a tent, since their hands were bound together. Both were lying on their backs and did not dare to make a move.

Earlier that night, Kankuro hand teased them, particularly Gaara to keep his hands—albeit the one not trapped in a jutsu—in place. Whatever that meant obviously irritated the both Gaara and Kyara.

At first, the poor kunoichi could not sleep because of the awkward situation. She wasn't planning on sleeping anyway; not with this man lying next to her, of all people.

But soon, with days of exhausting trek from Suna up to Wave, her body could not take it any longer. She dozed off.

By then the rain had gone for the worse. It was pouring outside! But it was a good thing they had situated themselves on higher ground or it would have been a terrible mess to get wet with flood.

The young former-jinchuuriki could not help but look at her peaceful face while sleeping. He remembered the last time they slept together… he recalled caressing her smooth face, pale against the moonlight. He remembered giving her a warm kiss on her sweet lips and wrapped his arms around her… like he never wanted to let her go. But now, it was all different. He could not do the same things as before because Kyara hated him. As much as he wanted to put his arms around her…

"Waaah!" A frightened scream came out from Kyara as the thunder cracked and boomed. It was so frightening that she suddenly jolted up, screeching, like she had seen a ghost or something.

Because their hands were adjoined, Gaara sat up as well, covering the girl's mouth with his free hand from the earsplitting yell. She did not calm down until gently called her out.

"Kyara…"

Automatically, she stopped and slowly, Gaara released his hand. He felt her soft lips slide on his palms and a tickling feeling was strangely sent through his spine up until the ends of his neck.

The girl was shaking all over and panting for breathe. Gaara gave her time to relax, a minute or so.

It was the thunder, Kyara's most well-kept phobia. He remembered it quite well. Back then, she would hide herself in her room, sit on a corner and cover her ears until the storm passed.

"Are you alright?" He asked. She was staring blankly on her sheets. She did not answer, merely nodding.

"You're still scared of that." It was a statement, not a question.

Kyara dared to look at him and snapped, "Oh, heck, do you think I would s-scream like that if I'm n-not?"

Another thunder struck. Gaara could visibly see the ends of her untied hair rising. Her eyes were wide, hallow irises in the dark and her cheeks were deathly pale. She was so scared.

The next moment, however, he had least expected. Kyara might not have given it a thought, simply acting on her instinct as any human would have acted. Anyone with a phobia would have acted as she had.

She pounced on him.

Gaara lifted a hand, the one not stuck by a jutsu, and hesitantly—because for the life of him he did not know what else to do—placed it lightly on her back. Slowly petting smooth silky hair and yet he was afraid she might break like glass. Kyara was trembling badly against his chest, her own free arm wound around his middle, as another thunder struck.

"P-please…" she said, hardly audible against the storm, "just for tonight. I… I'm so scared."

A strong arm encircled her tightly. She felt warm. She felt secure. She could smell him strongly.

She was sure now she was safe as she was lolled to sleep by his steady heartbeat. The last thing she felt was a warm kiss pressed against her forehead before fatigue took over her.

--

The next morning, the rain had already stopped and the sun shone brightly, making the birds chirp and frogs croak. Everything was wet and puddles were everywhere. The sound of the forest faunas roused the brown-haired kunoichi into consciousness. The moaned and wiggled a bit. The thing she was lying on was so comfortable. It was warm and smelled so familiar. It was neither too hard nor too soft. It was just so wonderful like a dream…

"Are you awake?" She felt the voice before she heard it through his body.

"Eek!" She abruptly got up, but because their hands were entwined, he lost his balance and ended on top of her. His head landed on her chest and hearing her heart beating so fast. Both did not move or even breathed for a long long moment.

Gaara slowly got up. He found himself staring at the girl beneath him longingly. She wasn't looking at him but she could practically feel him looking at her.

Kyara scrunch her brows together in defiance. Why was she blushing and trembling like a virgin in this situation? She should kick his ass for this! Her eyes snapped at his direction, giving him the coldest of glares she could muster.

Gaara, however, was only staring back blankly. She was so beautiful… with her hair down and in disarray around her head. And her eyes shimmering with anger and defiance. Her shoulders were so smooth and bare. Her chest heaving up and down as she tried to control her erratic breathing. He could practically see her jugular pulse beating against the skin of her neck. It made him burn with a want to kiss and feel it…

Kyara had also felt it. Gaara had grown in to a strong masculine man. His hair was longer than before and his face was… well, stoic, but now she saw it with passion and eagerness. His eyes were so full of longing and passion that she could not help but stare at those beautiful jade orbs.

Slowly, the man's head bent down to meet her lips. And Kyara found herself… anticipating it. Her heart was racing; it would seemingly burst out of her chest. She felt drunk with his scent, warm by his body draped over hers… and now he was going to kiss her. This must still be a dream…

"What's going—" a voice interrupted them. Kankuro had his head peeking out of his tent. His once irritated expression quickly change to shock then shifted to a slow lazy grin. "Ohh…" he said suggestively, "I understand. Just finish your business. I'll just be catching on more sleep then." He ducked inside the canvas again before peering out with an even more wolfish grin on his face. "And keep it down, okay?" he added. And he was gone again.

"Get… off me…" Kyara was the first to break the silence. Her face was so red with embarrassment; she might have combusted on the spot. After another second of staring down at her, Gaara acquiesced. He got up and gave her as much breadth as the joined hands could possible give.

Kyara silently went for her pack, grabbed her towel, toothbrush and comb. She was intending to leave for the river to wash up but since she was stuck with the male ninja…

"Uhm…" she mumbled, not meeting his eyes, "can you… can you go with me?"

She felt really stupid asking that question. Of course! Not that she wanted to, but still, she didn't have a choice, did she?

And so they went to the river and quickly did her thing. When they went back to the camp, she was blushing madly with a cute pout on her lips.

"Err…" it was Kankuro. He was just finishing setting the tents away. "What happened?" He asked.

"Nothing!" the self-conscious girl snapped violently.

"Jeez, girl. Relax. Hehehe… I was just asking… why are you so red?"

"Shut up! You ass!" Kyara yelled again, going even redder.

"Hey, mind it, Kyara-chan. It's a bright and sunny day," Kankuro was mocking her deliberately, "you look way too much like your old sensei."

"Just shut up! Argh!"

Kyara stomped away, dragging an annoyed Gaara along with her. The black-clad shinobi wondered why she was so irritable… okay, so it wasn't such a wonder after all. But he just had to rub it in. Kankuro grinned even wider as he hefted his pack over his shoulder.

--

They were walking so silently that it was annoying. Kankuro was hoping for a little more action from the two lover birds, but no, they still had to keep it all in. He saw Gaara taking a sideway glance at Kyara, then snapped right ahead. Seriously! What would it take for things to… just happen!?

"Uhm… Gaara… kun?" that was Kyara muttering, Kankuro heard. He was surprised she still used that familiar suffix to his younger brother's name.

Gaara seemed to be shocked as well, though he hid it quite well—maintaining his apathetic look.

"Well… about last night… I, uh… I wanted to thank you," she stammered, "and it won't happen again, I sorry."

"Why are you saying sorry?"

Kyara just gave him a shrug, dismissing the notion. "It won't happen again," she repeated, firmly his time.

Gaara saw the seriousness on her face. He did not ask more but continued staring at her.

"You always say you're sorry for such trivial things, Kyara," Gaara said solemnly, "Even before. Even when you didn't do anything wrong."

"y-yeah," she stammered again, slightly pink in the face, "…it just feels better that way."

He didn't tell her, but at that moment, Gaara found the old Kyara Yukino again. 'Perhaps,' he mused silently, "she hasn't changed that much.'


	8. the painful truth

hi there guys! A merry Christmas and happy New year to all of you! Sorry it took long for us to publish chapter 8. We were just so busy with school stuff and when the holidays arrived, we took the time to edit and edit! Anyways, I have added some definition of terms so that you won't get all confused what's going on. Hehehe… so, here goes chapter 8! Enjoy!

**Terms:**

**D & C ( Dilatation and Curettage)-** refers to the dilation (opening) of the cervix and surgical removal of the contents of the uterus. It is a therapeutic gynecological procedure as well as a rarely used method of first trimester abortion.[1][2] It is commonly referred to as a D&C.

D&C normally refers to a procedure involving a curette, also called _sharp curettage_.[1] However, some sources use the term D&C to refer more generally to any procedure that involves the processes of dilation and removal of uterine contents, which includes the more common _suction curettage_ procedures of manual and electric vacuum aspiration.[3]

**Haemophilia-** is a group of hereditary genetic disorders that impair the body's ability to control blood clotting or coagulation, which is used to stop bleeding when a blood vessel is broken.

**Lethargy**- is a state of awareness. It can describe a range of afflictions, varying from a general state of lethargy to a specific work-induced burning sensation within one's muscles. It can be both physical and mental. Physical fatigue is the inability to continue functioning at the level of one's normal abilities.

**Cyanosis** is a blue coloration of the skin and mucous membranes due to the presence of 5g/dl deoxygenated hemoglobin in blood vessels near the skin surface.

**Sepsis**- is a serious medical condition that is characterized by a whole-body inflammatory state (called a systemic inflammatory response syndrome or SIRS) and the presence of a known or suspected infection. An incorrect layman's term for sepsis is **blood poisoning**, more aptly applied to Septicemia.

**DAMN REGRETS**

(Gaara's Stupid Mistake)

Chapter Eight

_**Approximately three years ago…**_

The fifteen-year-old kunoichi woke up early morning feeling more groggy as ever. It would seem that the flu wasn't going away anytime soon and it was hitting her harder than ever. Kyara Yukino slowly and achingly dragged herself out of the bed and proceeded to the bathroom. Passing by the small kitchen-slash-dining area, she caught the strong whiff of Resha-sensei's cooking. Her insides immediately squirmed unpleasantly and the next thing she knew, she was throwing up last night's supper.

Kyara twisted the faucet and watched basin drain its contents down. She assessed herself on the mirror before her. She looked sickly pale, her face sunken and her eyes were bagged. "I'm just so tired…" she told herself.

She found a glass, filled it with water and drank. No use dehydrating when she had training sessions with her sensei later that morning.

Just as she was about to leave the bathroom, she felt another wave of nausea and went back to the sink.

She was shaking all over after heaving the last contents of her stomach out. Her hands gripped the edge of the sink so tightly until her knuckles turned white.

"I can't afford to be sick. I still have to train…" she said, drinking two more full glasses of water.

With difficulty, she got on with every morning's routine of washing herself up and changing. Stepping out into the kitchen, she felt entirely drained already though she still kept an up-and-about façade. She hoped her sensei would not take notice.

Resha-sensei had prepared a simple noodle dish for that morning's breakfast. Kyara caught another whiff of the strong odor. She felt like vomiting again but had to hold it in. She never remembered noodles having this strong of a scent or perhaps her sensei had gone with too many onions on them.

"What's wrong, Kyara?"

Oh, no… her face must have given her away! She wasn't conscious that she was looking that disgusted over the noodle bowl.

Kyara hesitated to answer, "I, uh… I really don't feel like eating today."

"Why?" her sensei was surprised, "isn't this your favorite noodle dish?"

It wasn't anymore.

"Yes, sensei," Kyara answered tentatively, "but I'm not really hungry for it."

Resha-sensei actually took a deep breath and looked away, insulted. "If you don't like my cooking, just say so," she said, jaws tight.

"It's not like that, Resha-sensei!" the younger woman tried to reason out, "I'm just… I don't feel really good today and it's affecting my appetite."

So much for hiding she was sick from her teacher, but Kyara always knew that the truth would always be the best excuse for anything.

On the other hand, Resha's face calmed and she even tried to convince Kyara to eat even just a little bit.

"We will be training harder today," she said, "You may need your energy." Though if it was just to inform what she had been planning for today's exercises or if it was punishment for not eating her cooking, Kyara could not figure out.

Not wanting to get the full wrath of sensei's admonitions… which usually consists of ear-splitting loudness and bodily pain… Kyara nodded, "Hai", and began to eat.

She hadn't even finished her bowl before she pushed it away in favor of heading out to the training grounds early. Resha could only scowl at her as she left.

By the time she reached their designated training ground, Kyara was already feeling dizzy and exhausted. She opted to sit on the soft ground for a while as she waited for her sensei to arrive. It would seem that going out ahead of her teacher to take in much needed fresh air did not work.

She had been feeling sick for quite a while now, maybe a week or more. She was usually a sickly person. She was in top shape for young kunoichi, more so than her other age-mates—taijutsu was her forte after all. But why get sick now? Even with Sakura's recommended meds, it hadn't worked.

It was a simple cold flu! Easy enough to remedy the headaches, the joint aches, the usual fever, and sometime nausea with the vomiting… but then there was her breasts becoming sore and some abdominal cramping.

No, a simple flu doesn't take this long. It must be something else…

It could be…

"Nah… it can't be," she murmured to herself.

No sooner, Resha-sensei arrived looking very much in a sour mood. It must have been that morning's breakfast. Kyara realized her teacher was still upset about it and she pretty much did not care. She was sick and groggy and aching all over… who cares about noodles!

Who cares about anything right now!

All Kyara wanted to do right now was go back under the sheets of her comfortable bed and sleep it all away… but nooo, she still had to train.

Oh, look at the birds in their little prickly nest and that cat over there, lounging around under the sun. "Stupid cat…" she murmured again. Kyara was beginning to hate everything in sight…

Wait.

Stop, there… why was she so irritated all of a sudden?

She was thinking too much and had not realized her teacher had been calling her name.

"Yukino Kyara! Get your ass up here or you'll be up to some serious slapping!"

Kyara was up and in attention in front of her sensei the next second.

"Now, Kyara," her sensei began, "I want you to listen up. Concentrate on the instructions I'm about to give you, I don't want any more screw ups, got that?"

"Hai!"

"Now," Resha gripped her sword hilt, "we'll be testing your long-range combat skills. Kunai, shuriken, senbon… the works. I am aware that your bloodline limit has the ability to control movements using your mind, Kyara."

"Yes sensei… but…"

Resha's eyes snapped wide. "What do you mean 'but'?" she asked.

Kyara hesitated. She hadn't meant to tell her sensei but she hadn't thought it would be any concern.

"Lately… it's has been getting a bit out of hand," the younger woman answered softly, looking away.

"Explain." It was a curt yet very authoritative command from a very much irate Resha-sensei.

"It must be this sickness I acquired. I've been feeling under the weather for a while now and I think it's disrupted my concentration or something."

But Resha was not totally convinced.

"It's fine, really," Kyara tried to assure her, "just a little flu bug—"

"You idiot child! Why didn't you tell me this sooner?" the blue-haired cut her off. Resha was looking to murder her for some reason.

"S-sensei…" Kyara stammered, "I-I really didn't think I-it was that—"

"That's right, you didn't think…" Resha pressed her fingers to her temple, her other hand to her hip. She looked very worn-out by this sudden news of her student's condition. "You stupid, stupid girl…" she whispered almost more to herself.

"Sensei… I don't understand…"

"Kyara…" Resha's demeanor suddenly dropped. Her shoulders were slightly hunched, her eyes downcast as if she was in contemplation. "Do you still remember what I've told you about your clan? The Yukino Clan?"

Kyara's eyes grew wide and nodded silently.

Resha was torn inside now. For one reason was the Kyara's hesitant character—the girl can't even answer a straight 'yes' to her! And another reason for Resha's hesitation was Kyara's terrible past that the younger girl could not even remember.

The jounin sighed, crossing her arms on her ample chest. Kyara had ask about her parents once before. It was a question drawn out by a once little Kyara in her childhood days when the other kids were fetched and taken care of by biological parent whilst she had a grumpy old hag for a mentor. But Resha had not answered her directly, having never met any of the child's clansmen let alone her real parents.

Kyara was found roaming the streets of a small village on the outskirts of the Country of Fire. It was a younger Mutsunagi Resha, recently appointed jounin of the Village Hidden in Sand, who found her stealing food from a little bakery. Kyara's manner of stealing freshly baked bread was hardly the usual; the little snotty-nosed Kyara made the loaf of bread come to her instead! This was what caught Resha's attention and what made her decide to take the girl to become ninja.

Unfortunately, Kyara had to memory of her past since her life in the streets of that small town. The only memento on Kyara that gave any other indication of her identity was her little cape with the name 'Kyara Yukino' delicately embroidered on its hem. Resha brought her to Konohagakure, had her checked by its proficient medic nin but the results came out negative. The girl's neural bundles for memories, though still intact and regenerated, had been disrupted by an unknown jutsu. Nothing could have been done to her loss of memory.

It was also quite ironic now that Resha herself was hesitating to reveal the Yukino Clan's fate to Kyara. Like student, like sensei perhaps?

"I had done the research, Kyara," Resha said solemnly, "and I had been fortunate to have gathered even the least of information about the Yukino Clan of the Village Hidden in Snow."

The young Yukino listen to every word wholeheartedly.

"They had been a respected and revered clan of Yukigakure with Hisuke Yukino as the last head of clan…"

"my father…"

"yes, your father was the last head of the Yukino Clan," Resha answered. "There had been war in Yukigakure since before you were born. Some would have speculated it had been the war that took the entire clan out but according to my research… it was otherwise."

"what happened sensei?"

"would you shut up for a second and let me finish, child?!"

Kyara visibly flinched by her teacher's sudden outburst. "I'm sorry sensei…" she murmured.

"just stay quiet---where was I again? Oh, yes… as your clansmen had been revered for their abilities to manipulate objects movements, that same ability had at some point in the battle gotten out of control. The records had very little to no details of the events, as such does happen in wars, but they clearly showed that it had been the Yukino Clan's immense power that caused their entire demise… except for you. You've survive somehow though you lost your entire memories prior to the end of the war."

Kyara's shoulders were quivering, her eyes were spilling tears.

"now do you understand, Kyara? You're powers have grown tremendously over the years but I will not have you lose control over them…" _I will not lose you_, Resha meant to say.

"h-Hai, sensei… I'm sorry."

Both women were silent for a while. Kyara sniffing silently as her teacher began to brood.

"now, let's not waste any time goggling the past…" Resha suddenly said.

Kyara snapped into attention and positioned herself.

"Hai, sensei!"

In a gust of wind, more than several dozens of kunai, senbon, shuriken and such other throwing weapons appeared out of nowhere, scattered across the field surrounding them. Kyara waited for her teacher's instructions, though slightly confused.

"concentration is the key to this exercise," Resha said curtly.

"Hai!" Kyara nodded, though still unsure.

"this is a long-range combat practice. This vicinity is our battle ground. You can use whatever weapon there is present here or your own weapons." Resha gripped her own blades hilt. Kyara's hand lingered on her own katana as well.

"Hai, sensei… but a sword…"

"I know what you're thinking. A sword is meant for close-range… baka, be creative then. There are a hundred and one ways to make a sword sail across the sky!"

Kyara felt herself sweat-dropped at her teacher's words. Swords sailing across the sky? What did she mean by that?

"H-hai… sensei," the chunin said instead, "but how do I use them all at the same time?"

Resha's face suddenly darkened. "idiot girl," she growled, "I didn't say you'd do that. Be sensible!"

"of course, sensei!" Kyara flinched. Her teacher was getting snappier and snappier and more irritated. Still she didn't understand why.

But then Resha brought her hand to her chin and rested her weight on one foot, as if she suddenly had an idea and was contemplating on it. "but if you do achieve that… if you could utilize a dozen hundred weapons all at once… you are a Yukino ninja, aren't you?"

"what are you talking about…?"

"you'd know what to do," Resha answered curtly.

"huh? But wha—" Kyara hadn't finished her sentence when Resha disappeared right in front of her.

Kyara drew her sword the next second. Opening up all her senses to pinpoint her teacher's exact location. But Resha was not revered jounin back in Suna for just about anything. She was deadly and precise in her trade and if she chose to remain unseen, she'd be unseen.

"Shickers…" Kyara quietly cursed under her breathe.

She brought a one-handed tiger seal, activating her bloodline limit. If she cannot feel for her sensei's presence, she'd search her mind out instead.

_Ah, ah, ah… not this time, Yukino._ She heard her sensei speak in her own mind's ears before a sudden pain befell on her.

"Ahhh!" she yelped, cradling her head with one hand. What was that? Kyara shook her head to clear the distortion inside her mind.

"… new jutsu I recently created," she heard Resha say out loud this time, "pretty effective against you mind invasion, isn't it?"

"yeah… it rattled my head for a second…" Kyara emphasized with another shake of the head.

The technique wasn't as disconcerting to her own mind as it must have intended to be but Resha did not know that. Kyara would make her believe that the new jutsu would be a handicap. She was ninja after all; deception was in the job description.

A volley of kunai rained upon her. With reflexes honed magnificently for years of apprenticeship under Mutsunagi Resha, Kyara had done a simple substitution and escaped unscathed.

"you're too slow, Kyara…" she heard her whispered. Kyara didn't actually see her teacher but she felt the older woman presence behind her. She twisted around with sword slashing in a graceful arc above her head before coming down… to empty space. Resha had vanished again.

Kyara sensed the next attack coming from her left. Her sword finally met steal. Resha-sensei's face was sneering at her. "Too slow," she said quietly, "what's the matter Kyara? Still feeling a little sick? You're enemies won't give you any leeway just because you're a little under the weather."

Resha pushed of and disappeared again in a flicker of wind. "suck it up, Kyara!" her voice echoed from somewhere… or nowhere at all.

Three kunai went sailing, aiming for her legs. Kyara deftly blocked them with her katana. Five more appeared in her line of vision, aiming for her right side. She jumped out of danger but before she landed to hard ground, another volley of steal rained upon her.

She brought her fingers together to perform another substitution technique.

The fifteen-year-old chuunin next appeared behind a tree. She was breathing hard; harder than she ought to breathe. They've only been going at this for—what? Four minutes?

She was tiring too quickly, Kyara realized. Damn flu bug!

"what's the matter? Can't you do anything else aside from dodging my attacks, Kyara?" Resha was evidently taunting her. "you can't run away forever!"

The young Yukino remained hiding in her spot. She knew she had to act quickly. she needed a plan.

"what's the point of this exercise if you keep hiding?!" Resha said from somewhere; her voice carried by the wind.

_Sensei can easily throw her voice at any point,_ Kyara thought._ It's difficult to say where she is at. Her new jutsu is disarming as well against my bloodline limit and she can efficiently hide her chakra… what to do? What to do?_

Kyara pushed off from the trees and began running around in random zigzag patterns. She flicked her right wrist, catching several stray senbon from the ground using her signature Yukino telekinesis.

She felt Resha's presence appear again, slightly behind her right. She flung those senbon needles with keen accuracy as several star shuriken came spinning after her. The needles blocked each metal star…

"where are you looking at?" the dark-haired jounin was suddenly upon her, face merely inches away from hers.

Kyara gave a small gasped of surprise before bring her sword up to attack.

Resha easily blocked. "you're not concentrating!" she cried, incensed.

Kyara gritted her teeth as the full blow of her teacher's counter attack racked her arms in tremors. She bent her knee to spread the pressure down her lower extremities. Mutsunagi Resha was particularly ruthless today.

The teacher and student broke apart from their lock. Kyara was evidently worn-out from the exercise; the older woman was even more livid by this.

Resha gathered a few nearby kunai and shuriken, using thin and almost invisible chakra strings, and threw a slow frontal attack. Kyara dodged and blocked a few. It was the simplest of attacks yet Resha noticed it was taking a toll on her young student.

"Kyara, what are you doing?! Think!!" she yelled.

"I am!" Kyara yelled back defiantly, mimicking her teacher's earlier attack. It was a careless throw of her arm with chakra strings attached to several weapon strewn around for their utilization. She wasn't even aiming at her opponent.

"are you going to run away again?" Resha deftly dodged every single kunai without so much as lifting her sword to defend.

And that was it! Kyara almost heard the proverbial snap within her. She had enough of Resha-sensei taunting her.

Using the same momentum she had gained from her earlier assault, Kyara twisted around and as graceful as a ballerina with the speed of a F1 drive, she flick a noted kunai to her teachers direction.

But Resha was faster, more adept. The dark-haired teacher caught the tagged kunai and returned the volley.

Kyara's eyes widened. It would only take split seconds before explosion. There was not time to…

There was a loud blast. Dust and debris everywhere.

Resha smirked. Kyara was in the midst and unscathed. Her left hand was open before her. She had used her technique to divert the explosion away from her, protecting herself from harm. However, this was her greatest mistake… she had left herself apparently open.

Resha rushed at her in full speed, sword drawn to strike. Kyara saw this all… but she couldn't move. There was a sharp pain throbbing down her lower abdomen.

It only began as a negligible ache. She didn't put anything mind to it and continued with the training. But now it was not to be gone unnoticed.

It was unbearable…

She drew her katana to block her teacher's strike. She felt the heavy impact. Tremors resounding down her entire body.

She saw her sensei's angry eyes. She knew the anger was because of her. She was performing as expected in today's exercise. She knew that she downright sucked today.

She rather felt before she saw her teacher draw back. But it wasn't far back, their swords where still locked. Then Resha's heavy fist made contacted with her right cheek.

She felt herself flew back, skidding across the ground before she felt the sharp pain on her cheek. It was going to bruise, she was sure of it.

"why would you close your eyes, Kyara?! Focus!" she heard her sensei yell for her. But her voice seemed so far away now. She hadn't even realized she closed her eyes.

Blood was rushing to her ears now. The pain on her lower abdomen was so much…

"Kyara…" she heard her sensei again.

"I'm f-fine…" she said the words before they even registered to her brain.

The young chuunin straightened, taking out another tagged kunai from her back pouch, readying herself to strike out. "Okay, I'll concentrate even more…" she said more to herself.

Kyara's new found resolve was enough for Resha. She disappeared in a flurry of dust and leaves before a volley of metal stars came raining down on the young chuunin.

Kyara threw her tagged kunai aimlessly… though for the untrained eyes, it would have been an aimless throw. In actuality, the spot of which the kunai landed and expectedly exploded had been the same spot Resha-sensei appeared before using substitution to disappear again.

_That's it girl_, she silently praised Kyara as she appeared with scratches and splinters down the right side of her body. The younger kunoichi was finally getting serious.

In a flicker of speed, Kyara appeared hovering above her, leg lashing out for the older woman's head. Resha flipped several times backwards to avoid.

Kyara lashed out again with her sword. And Resha parried.

And another stabbing back rankled through Kyara's body. For a brief moment she stopped and gasped.

Consciously, she saw her teacher's gleaming blade coming down in her. Kyara instinctively leapt away. But in the midst of her flight to safety, another blast of intense pain went through her.

Kyara half yelled, half gasp before she landed ungraceful to the hard ground.

"Kyara…!" she heard her teacher cry distantly. Next she saw her teacher appearing next to her and asking, "what's wrong, Kyara?"

"I-it's nothing… sensei," she lied, clutching her abdomen. The pain was excruciating.

She stood up unsteadily on her feet. She was panting, sweating and trembling all over.

"Kyara…" her teacher called to her again. She felt strong hands holding her arms.

She had fallen on her knees now, though she hadn't intended to. The pain was clouding everything in her head.

"Kyara… there's blood… you're bleeding!"

_What_?

Yes, there was blood sliding down her legs. Why was she bleeding?

She was slipping at the edge of unconsciousness. Blackness was so near.

"Kyara!" she was sure her sensei was screaming her name but it seemed so far far away now.

And it all went dark.

--

The first thing that she saw after the haziness before her eyes disappeared was the whiteness around her. It was all crispy white and bright and she knew then she was in the hospital.

The next thing she realized was the heavy weight that seemed to crush her body down and yet she could hardly feel anything.

It was so cold and numb... her head light and fuzzy…

"Kyara?" she heard a soft familiar voice call to her. She shifted about to look at her friend, Sakura. The young medic appeared in her line of vision, hovering over her with every bit of worry etched in her smooth face. "Kyara…" she said again, "how are you?"

Kyara shifted again in her bed, trying to stretch though the attempt was futile. She was so exhausted and her limbs so heavy. "I'm okay… I guess," she answered after a moment, her voice so hoarse and her throat so dry.

As if reading her mind, Sakura reached for a strawed cup of water from the bedside table and assisted her friend with drinking.

"Thank you, Sakura-chan," the brunette said after finishing the whole cup, "what happened?"

Sakura actually looked a little anxious and her eyes kept looking at anything but Kyara's as she busied herself with refilling the cup with water.

"I could barely feel any part of my body now," Kyara added lightly, jokingly, "Have you given me general anesthesia or something? Because I could probably drink a whole gallon of water by now." The patient laughed.

"… actually, we have," Sakura answered tentatively, handing Kyara the cup again.

Kyara's hazel eyes snapped wider, staring at her friend questioningly. "Why?" she asked before she knew it, her hand lingering on the cup but not drinking. "I think, I remember…"

Yes, she remembered. There was the pain, excruciating pain. And there was blood trailing down her inner thighs…

"I passed out from training…" Kyara said instead, lying almost for she couldn't accept she had simply gone down because of some injury of sorts. She couldn't accept that for a moment she had been weak and helpless again.

"You've just came out of an operation, Kyara-chan," Haruno Sakura told her.

"What?" Kyara made an attempt to sit up, heaving herself on her elbows, but Sakura's firm hands came gently on her shoulders and pushed her back down.

"Take it easy, Kya-chan," she said, cajoling, "take it easy now."

"What operation? Tell me, Sakura-chan?" Kyara asked again.

Sakura fell silent, her eyes downcast. She bit her lip and looked as if pained by something. "Well…" she began but was hesitant. She took a deep breath before shifting to face Kyara fully, locking her beryl green eyes to Kyara's confused ones.

"Kyara…" Sakura's voice had taken a mechanical tone into them. It was professional and impartial tone that she used so well with her other usual patients and now she was using it on one of her best friend. "You've just went through a D&C and I'm really sorry. We couldn't do anything about it."

Kyara only stared.

"What?" the brown-haired chuunin blinked. "Why would you…"

"The baby was a little over four weeks, closer to five. I'm really sorry Kyara-chan."

Eerily, everything seemed to stop. Kyara could practically hear a pin drop three doors from their room.

"What?" She asked again, almost stupidly for the third time in less than five minutes.

It was Sakura's turn to look confused, blinking. "You were pregnant, Kyara-chan… and you've just miscarried the baby."

"What baby?"

The rosette took a quick breath, realization dawning on her. "You didn't know." It was a statement.

"W-what are you talking about? I couldn't have been pregnant and miscarried. I-I was never pregnant to begin with!" Kyara knew her voice was taking a higher octave than usual and it was shaking.

By that moment, Sakura had quietly turned her back and walked away. She took the metal folder hanging by the end of the bed and went back to give it to her patient. It was Kyara's medical chart.

The brunette, already sitting up, took it and scanned the contents.

Her name, age and room number was boldly written on top of the chart.

Below was the date, Feb. 25, 2005, the time of her admission and chief complaints…The chief complaints, which got her heart beat on it's wildest pace. It contained all signs and symptoms of…miscarriage: nausea and vomiting, abdominal and back cramping as noted by watcher, came in due to hemophilia, lethargy noted at endorsement. But wait a minute! She didn't remember telling any of these things to Sakura. She was supposed to be unconscious...lethargic! Then, she remembered Resha-sensei's voice, calling out her name, and it all became clear that her pink-haired friend had probably interviewed her teacher, as for having her assessment.

Her hands were shaking as she turned to the next page of her chart, fearfully expecting what to see. It contained all the notes and remarks made while she was still unconscious. She realized that, as soon as she had passed out, she was immediately delivered to the emergency room to be given immediate care and medications. The chart said that she was cyanotic when she came in and was sweating profusely.

The next inscription however, tightened her chest even more that she thought it would burst out from its place. She was delivered inside the Delivery Room to have Dilatation and Curettage, a method made to extract all contents of the uterus to prevent the mother from having sepsis or poisoning of the blood.

As an understudy of Haruno Sakura, she understood all those procedures so well, that she shut her eyes at the thought of it. But then, it was already done and there is nothing that she can't do anything about it and just continued reading. When she was transferred at her room, she was so unconscious she did not feel anything, up to the tip of her hair. And just now, Sakura came in, just in time to see her awake but incoherent. And the next thing she knew was her rosette friend was telling her about what just happened to her which brought her to be hysterical until she read her chart.

It was all there. On the crisp white papers, bound together by a heavy clip… it was all there.

Kyara let the metal binder fall on her lap. She was suddenly quiet, stooped over and quivering. A far cry from the once energetic and lively young woman Sakura knew.

"I'm really sorry, Kyara…"

"Oh, I get it… is this some sort of joke?" the girl on the bed suddenly spoke, her voice deep and even, "if it is, it's not funny."

"I-it's not a joke, Kyara—"

"And you of all people, Sakura? Did Naruto put you up to this? Naruto, where are you?"

"Naruto isn't here, Kyara-chan," Sakura said more firmly, "and this is not a joke."

Kyara's eyes were large and fearful. Her hands were shaking as she held the metal binder still. "No…" she said quietly, her breathing already labored, "I-it can't be… it was just…"

"I'm sorry but you didn't know either. You thought it was just a flu bug… you didn't know." Sakura made a move to put her arms around her friend's trembling shoulders. "I'm really sorry, Kyara-chan…"

"Shut up!" Kyara had pushed her away none too gently with the binder. The metal contraption crashed loudly on the floor.

It was only a second later that she realized what she had done and said. Quickly she clamped her hands to her mouth, stifling the pained moan she released. Her eyes large and brimming with unshed tears

The rosette-haired medic took a step forward. "Kya—"

"I said SHUT UP!"

At that precise moment, the door noisily opened and Mutsunagi Resha stepped in. "Sakura-san," she said, causing a startled flinch from the Hokage's apprentice, "I should ask you to leave now."

The medic nin nodded, eyes already tearful. She silently and quickly picked up Kyara's medical profile from the floor and gave Kyara's leg a warm squeeze before leaving.

Resha walk slowly, almost soundlessly to the side of the bed. She did not say anything, she did not gesture any form of emotion. She just stood there. Kyara did not know what her teacher thought now. Of course she knew of what just happened to her student. Of course she would know Kyara got pregnant and miscarried the child. And she might have had a clue on to who the father was.

But why wouldn't she say anything? Why did Resha-sensei just stood there so motionlessly?

Kyara couldn't look up and see what expression her teacher held. Was it pity? Was it anger and disappointment?

Surprised, Kyara realized she value more of her teacher's reaction to this than grieve over her own loss.

Loss of her child.

It seemed so surreal… so unreal. Like a dream that could just fade away after getting up from one's bed and be forgotten.

She wished it was a dream… but it was real, the baby was real. Do they still have it bottled up somewhere? She suddenly had the desire to see it, to make sure it wasn't all just some joke someone concocted to make her life even more miserable.

_I miscarried my baby_, she mentally told herself, trying it out to jar herself awake. _I lost my baby… I lost my baby…_

But it still didn't feel so tangible. She felt so numb and so detached from herself. Like she was the spectator of the show, sitting away from her own body and watching it crumble in motionlessness and internal nothingness from back row seats.

So far far away… so empty now… how did it come to this?

It was a few moments before Resha spoke. Her young student had been silently trembling in silence in her bed, hardly breathing at all. A mere statue on the white sterile sheets.

"Kyara…" she said, soft and even, almost mechanical, "Kyara look at me."

The young woman on the bed did not move or give any indication that she even heard her sensei call her name.

There was a long pause, it seemed like eternity. Neither Resha-sensei moved but she was in despair as well.

"… Why didn't you tell me?" the older woman had spoken it so softly and so leveled that for a moment Kyara thought she hadn't spoken at all.

Again, Kyara did not dare look at her teacher's face. So afraid of what she would see in her teacher's face.

"I was asking you a question, Yukino… answer me," Resha's voice, though still soft and barely a whisper, turned cold and stern. An all too familiar tone for Kyara and yet so foreign. How many times had her sensei rebuked her with that tone—usually with an additional physical punishment that would leave her practically pleading for mercy?

"I…" Kyara began, voice hoarse. What would she say? What _could_ she say now? "I didn't know…" she told her instead. It was truth but she herself did not believe it. She should have known all along. She had trained, at one point in time and under Haruno Sakura, the art of medical ninjutsu. She knew the symptoms of pregnancy and it had been happening to her body… she should have known better.

"You didn't know…" Resha repeated, voice shaky, "you simply didn't know… you stupid, stupid child… you are my responsibility, Kyara, but most importantly, you are like a daughter to me!" The younger woman didn't see but felt the jounin tugging her hair out it anguish. "… you made me so worried—I thought I killed… god, what were you thinking?"

"I'm sorry, sensei. I was careless… it was… it was just one time…" Kyara trembling was not ignorable anymore. The tears were flowing unbidden. "I-it was just one time… I-I didn't think it would come to this… it was just f-for one time and… he left me…"

Kyara was bent even more, face buried on her knees and howling at the sheets. "He left me! He left me because I was weak and pathetic and helpless!"

She felt two strong arms wrap around her, pulling her to a warm chest. And she cried. She cried and she cried. And though she did not see it, Mutsunagi Resha wept as well for the first time in a long long while.


	9. ughhly enemy appears!

**Hey there guys! I'm really, really sorry about this delay…I'm just so busy with school stuff and everything, including my extra curricular activities. **

**Anyways, here's chapter 9..enjoy reading! Oh! And thank you so so much for your reviews and for adding my story to your favorites. It motivated me more to write! **

**DAMN REGRETS**

(Gaara's Stupid Mistake)

Chapter Nine

"Kankuro, you better remove this jutsu now…"

Gaara's command was oozing with deathly threat, breaking the awkward silence between them. Kankuro, on the other hand, made a not-so-obvious sigh before sniffing his congested nose again. Signs of cold had started to manifest on the puppeteer's face and Kyara had been all too kind not to leave it untreated, giving him some decongestants earlier.

"Why?" Kankuro turned to his younger brother, looking a bit surprised at Gaara's sudden hostility… as if he was so innocent to both the team leader's and the medic's dilemma and he wasn't the cause of it.

"You very well know why you should…" Gaara was glaring ice that could have frozen a whole country over.

But Kankuro seemed to have acquired an immunity; he wasn't deterred by his little brother. He simply gave him a sly grin, and said instead, "well… no."

He could practically see the tell-tale angry vein popping out of his younger sibling's forehead.

"At any moment, we will be encountering the target. We will have to fight the S-class Mougin Jion… so stop messing around, Kankuro," Gaara's voice had dropped a degree lower; he was angry.

"I don't see the point of it, Gaara," Kankuro answered, "I mean, you're a long-range fighter. You could manipulate your sand in a distance… with one hand, while standing there and watch your enemies defeat."

"And what will I being doing?" that was Kyara.

Kankuro gave her an incredulous look, then his eyes fell to hers and Gaara's adjoined hands. The puppeteer shook his head, making a "tsk, tsk" sound. The kunoichi felt her face grew hot at the implication of that look.

"Sorry… but the jutsu I performed on you can't be undone." Kyara was about to explode, however, he added with a cheeky smile, "but… it has expiration due, so you don't have to worry too long."

"When?" Kyara asked first.

"That…" he lifted a finger in the air, "I am not so sure."

"What?!"

"I wasn't able to get to that stage in the development of the Lover's Hand Binding Technique," he scratched his cheek, uneasy, "but you have to admit it worked pretty swell, ain't it?"

"You're one cheeky bastard, aren't you?"

"You know, foul language doesn't really suit you, Kya-chan. You're growing up too much like Resha-sensei." Kankuro teased, his grin growing.

Kyara, on the other hand, childishly stuck out her tongue, of which Kankuro laughed loudly.

"You're an idiot…" Gaara's silent comment did not go unheard. His older brother simply smiled more to himself like an idiot.

Gaara tried reasoning again but the puppet-master could not be convinced, even by intimidating stares.

"You heard me, Gaara: my jutsu has an expiration time. It'll just wear off in time."

"But how come you're not exhausting your chakra reserves yet?"

"I…" the dark clad shinobi paused briefly, looking almost unsure, but quickly recovered for an answer, "I do run out of it… but I had to reactivate the jutsu this morning for my own entertainment."

"This is not the time for messing around, Kankuro."

"I know, but as what I've said—"

"You've been playing around since the very first day. Be more serious."

"I _am _serious, bro. It's just that I want you two to kiss and make up!"

At the words, Gaara immediately stopped on his tracks, his face flushed with a light shade of pink. Kyara's face was as red as a beet and she was holding a trembling fist in the air, whether from indignation, embarrassment or indignant embarrassment by Kankuro's comment.

"What I mean to say is the two of you have to work out this… conflict between. You've like been bickering and had this kind of spatting game for the entirety of this mission and you know it's irritating to hear pointless arguments and all."

Even with his usual impassive expressions, Gaara's frown could have been very intimidating. And he was throwing it all on his older brother. "We're fine now, as you can see," he said. Kyara nodded furiously, blush still lingering on her face.

"Yes," Kankuro sighed, "and that's good."

"Now get this off," the redhead said sharply. Gaara was not one for expressing his emotions on his face, nor was he one for showing a temper or his impatience, but this was getting frustrating for the jinchuuriki.

"Stubborn kid, I really don't have to repeat myself."

"You don't have to. Just do it."

"I don't want to…" as he spoke, Kankuro had his hands on his side, swinging his hips side to side while imitating a whiny five-year-old's voice

"Kankuro, if we fail this mission… I swear, I am going to—"

"We're not going to fail. Trust me, little brother."

There was a small snicker from behind Gaara. All that time they had been so caught in their heated conversation, they failed to remember one Kyara Yukino was still there, a very amused expression on her face.

"You two are so…" she let her words trail off for she didn't know what to call them. Their little spat was just so… entertaining and a bit… touching when you're one to look at them from the sidelines. She could have called cute even. But that wasn't a word both men would have appreciated from her and so she smiled at them.

A big genuine smile.

A smile that, in Gaara's opinion, she had been lacking ever since the mission started. It had previously been smirks or fake simpers. Her expression had been too well guarded, though Gaara doubted she had been conscious of this fact. She had been both too conscious and too frustrated of her situation on this mission—on the mission with _him_, more precisely.

But this smile was both warm and mesmerizing—a smile he hadn't seen for a very long time and, in all honestly, missed it very much. It made his heart clench at the thought. And still he continued to stare at her lovely face for a while longer.

"Kyara… you've… finally smiled."

An awkward pause befell upon them, with only their beating hearts and unregulated breathing to be heard. Kyara's face had fallen back, Gaara regretted, and was now holding a curious look about it. And then it lifted into a coy simper.

"W-well, you too," she said shakily, trying to suppress another bout of giggles.

"What?' Gaara felt his face drop. He wasn't even conscious he was smiling.

"You were smiling," Kyara said mischievously.

"No, I wasn't." He oddly sounded like a child attempting to hide the fact that he had just been caught red-handed.

"Oh, just admit that you just did."

Gaara on the other hand gave her his most grievous of blank stares. A normal person would have just pouted or frowned, but Kyara could read his expressions like a book.

"And you should smile more often," she added casually, "you look good when you do that."

Now it was Gaara's turn to look confused. With a little tint of pink on his ears. This was probably the third time he had blushed today.

Kyara was still the same as he had thought. Still sweet, bright-eyed, lovable but now more beautiful.

"Well, some people are finally getting along…" someone—one Sabaku no Kankuro—said out loud, breaking the bound pair from their staring at each other. They were now looking anywhere but each other—Gaara was clearing his throat behind his fist while Kyara began fiddling with her hair strands.

Kankuro began teasing them endlessly with his idiotic suggestive remarks but the redhead did not so much as expressively respond to them. Kyara was screaming and blushing her head off on the other hand. But Gaara… he felt a strange feeling of contentment for the reason that the brown-haired kunoichi was once again in amicable terms with him.

--

It was almost midnight in Sunagakure, but Sasori of the Red Sand was still wide awake. Not that he can't sleep; the day's work from his shop would have drained even the most energetic. But how could he doze off peacefully when he just found out the disturbing truth from the Kazekage just an hour ago?

He remembered coming out of the office with a feeling of hopelessness and a heavy burdened heart. He couldn't even concentrate on his tracks, walking almost mechanically back to his home.

Currently, he was tallying his sales… for the fifth time. Just to keep himself occupied.

"… It's no use," he said to no one, laying down his pen. He couldn't take his mind off of the things that had been revealed to him. He couldn't get it out of his head and it continued to come in circles.

It was Kyara. His one and only Kyara. It saddened him to think about her. It pained him to think of the fact that she was still in love with 'that man'.

Kyara could never have looked his way. She had said it herself that she loved him like an older brother.

He can only be like an older brother and nothing more.

Though, he wanted to be otherwise. Sasori wanted to be the one who could make her truly happy. The one who would make her day and the one who would make her sleep at night with a loving smile.

"What am I thinking?" he asked himself.

He shouldn't be thinking too much about her; it only causes him more pain to think about her… but trying not to think about Kyara was only making him think about her all the more.

"Kyara…"

Sasori was happy for her. Deep down, it was Kyara's happiness that he would hold dearly. It didn't matter if that happiness was received from him or another man, as long as Kyara received it lovingly and honestly.

A lone tear fell from his face as he turned to head for his bedroom.

--

The three Suna jounin had finally reached their destination. There was an inscription of "Haku" on the plain slab of stone. Kyara clearly remembered Naruto telling her about his team's first ever mission and all about a person named Haku.

This must have been that person…

"_We've met this… dude there, but he actually looked like a girl. And was very pretty and all…" twelve-year-old Naruto said._

_Sakura added, "That's right Kya-chan. He was so beautiful; I really thought he was a lady."_

_Sasuke, on the other hand, was silent and brooding on the end of the table._

_Naruto gave him a nasty look and said, "If you don't want to join in on the conversation, why don't you just go home, teme?"_

"_Kyara doesn't want to talk to you, dobe."_

"_Why you…"_

"_Stop bickering, you two…" Kyara intervened, holding her hand out in front of Naruto's face. Naruto sat back down, fuming, while Sasuke simply rolled his eyes. "So tell me more about this Haku. Where is he now?"_

"… _He's dead." It was the rosette Sakura who answered._

"_He died protecting someone precious to him." Naruto added solemnly._

Protecting and dying for the person most precious to you… the very thought of it made her question if Gaara could do that for her. She remembered him saying he would protect her with his life. That he would do anything for her, even if it means dying.

Had he meant it back then? Gaara would never have lightly said those words if it did not hold any meaning. Kyara had believed every single word he had said. But what happened to those promises? They were crushed completely that night three years ago…

Kyara's eyes stung from the memory. She realized that there were just some things that one cannot let go of, even if you try to suppress them deep down for years.

"Kyara…" Gaara called her name, waking her from her thoughts. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I, uh… I just remembered this guy." The kunoichi quickly made an excuse for her sudden lapse of attention. "Team 7, Naruto's genin team, once told me about their first mission here in Wave. The enemy was one of the powerful Seven Swordsman of Mist named Zabuza and there was this beautiful young man called Haku. Haku died protecting the person most important to him."

Gaara stared at her almost meaningfully.

"I just remembered it now that I've seen the grave," Kyara added.

"What idiot would leave a mark so obvious?" Kankuro said out loud, irritated.

Kyara was suddenly up and about the whole place, crying out, "and look at this! Booby traps everywhere."

Kankuro performed a short series of handseal, ending the jutsu with a tiger seal before his lips. "The tombstone is still intact and it seemed untouched," the black-clad nin added calculatingly, "I can't find any traces of disturbance on the ground. No traces of chakra as well." He ended the scanning technique. "That means there hasn't been any jutsu utilized to make it seem like it's untouched. This place is genuine."

Gaara only gave a worried "hn."

"Could it have been our target?" Kyara then asked.

Kankuro shook his head, "he _is_ supposed to be S-class. Wouldn't have made the ranks if he's _this_ stupid."

"I could think of several ninja's who would leave traps so obvious." Certain green spandex-wearing ninjas and one whiskered-faced Kage came to Kyara's mind. "It's a deception thing, but these are simple explosive tags and smoke bombs just lying around."

"You're blabbering will lead us nowhere," Gaara interrupted.

Kyara was taken aback. She was simply putting in her insights of the situation. "But Gaara-kun…"

"I told you to relax. He's not coming out if you keep on being brash and loud."

"Then what are we supposed to do now?" she asked, irate.

"We wait."

--

Kyara started to become restless—kicking and stomping around like a five-year-old on the verge of tantrum. It's already been hours since Gaara told them to wait by the ice ninja's grave for their target.

"Why do I have the feeling that this is such a waste of time…" she muttered to herself, pulling and twirling her bangs in frustration. She shifted and stomped about again, not bothering with the arm attached to her own being pulled around as she moved here and there.

On the other hand, a mildly irritated sand-wielder—owner of said arm—was staring oddly at her without her notice. He as staring at her bangs in particular as she tried to fix it. His line of sight fell quickly to her brown eyes.

How long has it been since he really looked at them? Had she not grown her hair out that it covered her hazel orbs, he would have had the luxury of looking at them. Her eyes had always been filled with life and happiness. He had taken notice of this ever since he first met her.

But that was before he broke her; that all changed. When she came back, all he saw was loneliness, anger and fear from the young woman's eyes. She hated him so much that the fire in her was visible.

But only a while ago, he had seen her smile again and her eyes spoke of gladness. What did it all mean? Was she finally loosening up? Was she finally coming to terms with him? But there are still uncertainties in her. She would often feel hostile towards him and even awkwardness. It was his fault to begin with…

Unconsciously, Gaara swept her bangs back behind her ears—a force of habit he once had. He wanted to see both bright eyes so badly, he couldn't resist the action.

The kunoishi flinched and blushed but did not pull away. She looked at him warily. "wh-what was that for?" she whispered.

Gaara paused. "I just wanted to see your eyes."

The kunoichi, if it was physiologically possible, turned even more violently red. She looked away, frowning and muttering, "you used to do that…" _all the time._

Gaara retracted his hand from her, suddenly feeling unsure of himself. Why does he feel so uncomfortable when he knew too well that the brunette's feeling for him would never be the same as before?

He shouldn't have gotten carried away; he always seemed to be in control of his actions. But when faced with Kyara…

Unbeknownst to the duo, a certain black-clad puppet-nin saw privy to the little show. "Hey…" he called out, grinning from ear to ear, "I saw that, Gaara. You should—"

A sudden movement from the bushes cut him off, startling the team. Kankuro was about to pull out his summoning scrolls, Kyara had pulled to tagged kunai with her free hand, while Gaara… he just waited as he was.

They didn't have to anticipate long when a very ugly man came out of nowhere and flounced—yes, what he did could only have been described as flouncing—his way in front of them.

"The Great Mougin Jion has finally appeared!" he proclaimed with a loud boisterous voice, his fist up into the sky. He laughed the most annoying laugh anyone has ever heard.

Kyara felt an unpleasant shiver ran down her spine. "Uu-uh-u…gly," her voice trembled so badly she sounded like chocking.

"Are you alright?"

"… He's so… unpleasant t-to look at," she finally said, though still quivering.

Gaara wanted to tell her how superficial she seemed… however, he couldn't bring himself to disagree with her. To say the S-class criminal was unpleasant to look at was an understatement. He had curly, bushy hair that reminded him of burnt cotton balls placed in top of a big head. His eyebrows were so thick, it somewhat reminded him of Rock Lee. His eyes wear beady black and far apart, resembling that of a cow. His nose was large and his pufferfish-like lips were glossy with a tinge of pink to them… was he wearing cosmetics?

"And I seem to have guests…" he said too loudly, flourishing his gorilla-like arm towards the trio.

"Guest?" Kankuro muttered, confused.

"And they are all here," the bushy-haired ninja twirled around, brandishing his greatness to the sky, "because of, no other reason, but… Meeeeee!" And he laughed again.

"What. The. Hell…" Kyara and Kankuro said in chorus. Did the Kazakage actually send them after this… person?

Gaara noticed the kunoichi's hand quivering. Was she scared or embarrassed?

The enemy nin stopped laughing and zeroed in his sights of the only female in the vicinity.

"Hey baby…" he said in a smooth obnoxious voice.

"Gaara-kun… stop me," she whispered menacingly, trembling even more. "I would like to crush and pound every inch of him 'til he disappears from my sight…"

Suddenly their target flickered out and appeared right next to Kyara's right ear. "You are beautiful…" he emphasized every word in a whisper meant to seduce.

It only caused to enrage the brown-haired kunoichi. "you ugly, perverted, big-haired bastard!" she yelled, "how dare you?! Keep your filthy fingers off of me! I'm going to kill you!"

"We're going out on a date after this…" Jion said as if without interruption, winking playfully at Kyara.

Another strong tremor ran through the woman's body, Gaara felt it… as well as his right hand being crushed by the intensity of the said woman's grip.

"I am certainly will not go anywhere with you! Stay away from me!" Kyara pulled out her sword, brandishing it one-handedly and sweeping it in an attempt to slice the overly-confident enemy nin in half.

Jion quickly evaded, laughing again like an booming idiot. "A feisty woman," he claimed to the sky again, "the Great Mougin likes greatly."

"Who are you calling 'fiesty'?!" Kyara was red in the face again, an angry flush of annoyance and embarrassment. "I will kill you!" She came charging, gleaming katana raised above her head—all poise and finesse of a high-ranked kunoichi gone out of the proverbial window—like a mad caveman with a club.

She didn't reach the enemy though. Another step, she came rebounding back with the equal force of her rush to attack.

"Let go, Gaara, I'm just gonna teach this bastard a lesson or three."

"I can't," Gaara replied.

"Wha-"

"Our hands are still stuck together."

_Oh_. She honestly almost had forgotten about that. Almost.

"What!? You're with him?" Jion did not miss the duo's hand joined together like lovers. He glared at Gaara with all animosity in his beady eyes. Kyara gritted her teeth and stomped in annoyance. "Jeez, if you're with me, baby," the bushy-headed man added, leering at Kyara's form, "I'll be more gentle with you… but hard."

Kyara blushed anew at his innuendo. "Pervert!" she swung her sword again, now aiming to decapitate the lecherous man. Mougin Jion, however, was laughing his head-off at

Kyara's expense.

"This is getting annoying," Kankuro said, almost pissed. Things weren't suppose to turn out like it currently was. "What an asshole. Jeez… why don't we just kill him, Gaara?"

Kyara was screaming on top of her lungs, aimlessly and brashly trying to inflict an attack to their idiot of an enemy while Gaara was pulling her back. "… burn into ashes, you fuzzy-browed idiot! Just die and go to hell!"

Kyara was so red on the face, everybody was expecting she might explode. They couldn't blame her for reacting like so. What with that guy's irritating face, any person—woman or man—would have acted very much indignant if they were hit on by the said ugly guy.

Gaara was thankful he was at the receiving end of the kunoichi's ere... though he couldn't say much about his bruising hand. "K-kyara..." he called her name with a shaky voice, "that really... hurt."

The woman, however, was too busy yelling at the enemy nin. "...you disgust me! Come any closer and i'll slice every inch of you! I swear it!"

"even dating and lying down with me?" Jion had a look of gleeful surprise on his face, as if he had just heard something pleasing to him.

"what?" it was Gaara's voice that spoke.

Kyara was, if it was physiologically possible, suddenly gone pale. "that is so disgusting..." she said, pained and totally creeped out, "i will definitely kill you..."

"oh no..." he turned away, shying away all of a sudden, "don't tell me that i'm getting so irrisitable that you can't help but get too excited to—"

BOOM!

The enrage Yukino had thrown an exploding kunai at her enemy.

Mougin Jion, to their annoyance, was actually quick to his feet. He escaped the explosion quickly enough, landing a few meters away from his previous spot. He laughed again, "aw, baby, you are like a wild cat... i'm liking you even more."

"i hate you..." Kyara growled menacingly. She flicked several kunai again, one after the other, of which Jion easily evaded.

BOOM!

Another tagged kunai apparently went off, sending dust and debris into the air. Mougin was in the air, doing a spinning somersault as he escaped the attack yet again. He landed soundlessly and gracefully in a half crouch.

"that was _pretty_ close, baby," he said, still grinning and leering at Kyara, "i can actually feel your love for me."

"you're delusional!" she draw three shuriken from her holster and threw them.

The bushy man evaded again and again. "no, i am gorgeous," he said as if it was as factual as the sun in the sky.

"you certainly are a fool of yourself." A voice spoke before something quite large came crashing down on Mougin.

It was Kankuro... or rather Karasu with his extendable bladed arms trying to slice the opponent. The bushy ninja fought, hand to wood, with the deadly puppet. "is this all?" he spat, mocking Kankuro as he blocked Karasu's blades with one arm without getting scathed.

"you haven't seen anything yet... Kyara! Do it!"

Mougin felt a sudden unexplainable force wash over him—like a strong gale of wind pushing his body backwards yet he remained unmoved. He felt an unnerving coldness seeping through him, it was suddenly so hard to breathe...

The multi-armed puppet retracted his blades, hiding them in his ragged cloaked before retreating to his master. By that Jion realized that he couldn't move at all. He was stuck at an ackward position with his arms raised and his feet apart, his face held the same idiotic laughing expression—like a picture captured in mid-motion of an attack.

_What...?_ he found himself unable to speak as well.

"not so tough now, are you?" he heard the puppet-ninja said smugly. He couldn't turn his heard or his eyes either.

A little way to the side, Kyara was crouched down to a half-kneeling position, her free arm held up her face in a one-handed tiger seal while the other still holding Gaara's hand. "Gaara-kun..." she said, calmly, "i have him under my jutsu. He won't be going anywhere."

Gaara nodded in response. His sand already weaving its way up the their targets legs.

"but please hurry..." the kuniochi added, "these techniques requires a lot of chakra."

Jion was already covered entirely with sand, Gaara lift his arm up, about to finish the fatal technique that was Sabaku Kyuu, but then suddenly another man appeared.

"what the—" Kyara couldn't believe her eyes. The slight man... _stopped_ Gaara's ultimate attack. "impossible..." she breathed, "how did he do it? He cut off my technique as well." She watched the cursed sand dissipate from Jion's body retreating back to where she and Gaara were positioned.

Gaara was silent but one look at his expression, Kyara new that he was as surprised as well. And a bit ticked off but the sudden intrusion.

"that's what you get for being stupid, Stupid," the newcomer grumbled to his companion. He was shorter than the ape-like Mougin Jion, with stunning dark-bluish hair framing his stunningly youthful face. And he had the most gorgeously bright ocean-blue eyes Kyara has ever seen.

"Shimasa!" Jion cried out loudly, finally free of the Yukino woman's telekinetic hold over his entire body. "you came to my aide at last! You simply cannot resist you're fantastic friend!"

"shut up..." the young man named Shimasa said, sounding mechanical and almost bored by his response to Jion's outburst. Kyara sensed he had told the gorilla this a thousand times. "i didn't come here to help you. But since your opponents are interesting... I think i'll be having a little fun."

"Shimasa..." Kyara casually stood up, brushing her knee as well, "the reports didn't say anything about a companion."

Gaara only hn-ed as his reply, his eyes never leaving the newcomer standing between him and their target.

"say miss..." the guy Shimasa said, appraising Kyara from head to toe and particularly lingering at a few assests, "what's your name?"

Kyara actually felt herself blush, unable to formulate a word from her gapping mouth. Now that he was looking and speaking at her, she could say that he was undeniably handsome.

"her name is Kyara Yukino," Kankuro answered for her, " and as you can see, she's already _taken_."

"aba-what?!" Kyara stummered, blushing anew. She was now fully aware of the warm hand still glued to hers.

"oooh, to bad... you're too cute. I was planning to let you live, but since you're already with someone—"

"hey!" Kankuro cut him off, a wicked grin on his painted face, "if that's your deal, i'll be your opponent then."

Shimasa actually grinned back, accepting his challenge. A slight nod was his only indication of his initial motion to attack—disappearing from their sight.

"Kankuro-nii-chan! The traps!" Kyara called out of concern.

"don't worry about me," he beamed smugly, releasing another summoning scroll, "i can handle this guys like cake." a puff of smoke and out was Kamari.

Kyara was assured but her innate ninja sense suddenly went off as an incoming attack struck her and Gaara. By chance or by coinciding thoughts, she and Gaara flickered out of danger moments before the ground below them was shattered into a crater.

Appearing safely, a volley of kunai rained upon them. Gaara's sand was quick to cover their heads, a solid half-dome floating above them and protecting them. The attack stopped when a huge explosion shattered the protective sand. The duo were already gone.

"come here you cowards!" Jion cried out, already they were getting on his nerves for simply avoiding him.

"you look even stupider when you're pissed off," it was Gaara's deadpanned reply.

"why you..." Jion rushed forward, a kunai on each hand. He opt for a more direct approach and he was coming at them fast. Gaara's cursed sand tried to capture him but he was escaping too quickly, dodging attacks before they could nick him on the neck.

If Kyara had the utility of both hands, she could have taken him head on with her sword. Her forte was on closer-range weapon combat after all. But with only one usable arm and having her left hand stuck with dead weight, her mobility was compromised. She could rely on her bloodline limit but even that required a bit of time and a lot of chakra to work. And compared to other techniques in her repertoire, her bloodline jutsu could only do as much since she only master the most basic of techniques. And those techniques were actually self-discovered and self-taught since it was a fact that she was the last known Yukino in the world without any reliable document about the Yukino Clan ninjutsu.

Kyara drew her hand forward, palm open. She wouldn't be able to catch Jion much like Gaara but she could at least use those neglected bombs and explosive tags lying around.

Those mentioned objects, if one looked at them closely began to tremble slightly. And then slowly they began flouting into the air. Kyara was keen not to be noticed until the right moment. She held in her justu all discarded weapons within her sight.

She dared glanced at Gaara, who still did not pause from his attacks—his one free arm waving around and commanding his sand. His teal-green eyes, held expressionless as he kept it on Mougin Jion. But the gentle squeeze of his hand on hers told her that he understood. Strangely, her heart began beating a little too quickly after that gesture.

The Yukino kunoichi flicked her wrist slightly, sending three or more small round bombs shooting towards their brushy-haired target. They exploded upon impact and one actually made contact with Jion's shoulder blade. He was stunned with surprise at Kyara's ability.

"Mougin Jion," Kyara called to him, "what do you want with Haku's body? Why do you want to steal it?"

Jion shook himself before replying, "baby, i don't want his body. What am i suppose to do with a rotting ugly corpse anyway? I'm only after his DNA."

"what?" Kyara whispered, confused.

"Haku has a kekkai genkai that could manipulate snow into weapons. He has extraordinary powers that I want for myself," he told them, boasting, "it would be fantastic! I could use it anytime to trick my enemies." Jion laughed again, hands on his hips and his head up high. "then when the time comes when i'm filthy rich and old yet still fabulously gorgeous, i'll sell my DNA along with those powers. I'll be filthier richer! And... i'm also planning on taking the last Uchiha's Sharingan too." And he laughed some more.

"he just told us his plans..." Gaara whispered, the left side of his face twitching.

"that was easier than I thought it would turn out..." Kyara whispered back, "that or he _is_ really loose in the head."

"Probably the latter."

Kyara rolled her eyes in exasperation before flicking her wrist again, sending bombs, tags and discarded kunai towards Jion.

Gaara shielded them both with his sand from the explosion that shook the ground they stood on.

A moment later Gaara removed the sand. Kyara had her eyes closed by instinct and slowly opened them...

"Hey, you're even prettier up close," it was Mougin Jion staring Kyara right at the face.

"Holy shickers!" Kyara cried, trying to ebb away from him. How did he move so fast?

"how about a kiss? Hmmm..." he was puckering his glossy puffy lips, wanting a kiss. Kyara simply wanted to die then and there.

But before she knew it, a fist connected with Jion's face that sent him flying—yes, flying—meters away. And it was the first time she had ever seen Gaara through a punch at anyone.

"Gaara-kun..." she couldn't quite put into words what she felt.

"his face was harder than i thought," the red-head said, shaking his hand.

The kunoichi grinned, "baby..."

And the man actually flushed a bit. Just an unnoticeable pink on the cheeks but not unnoticeable enough for Kyara's eyes.

Jion stood up from the crater he landed on. He hadn't expected the guy to punch him that hard. And it was indeed painfully hard, his nose was surely broken and bleeding.

"oh, you will pay for that..." Jion uttered menacingly, bringing his hands to form a series of seals, "dearly."

"we have to stop him, Gaara-kun," Kyara said warily, "he's S-class. He might use his ultimate technique on us."

Kyara drew out her katana from her sheath with her free hand awkwardly. She positioned it for an attack before flickering out of sight with Gaara in tow.

They appear right in front of the concentrating Mougin Jion. "we won't let you finish that!" she cried, striking him with all she could muster.

Jion defended with a kunai. "heh, too slow sexy baby," he leered, "with your boyfriend chained like a dog on you, you can't fight at all. Come on! Show me your moves."

He was mocking her, Kyara knew this but it did not help her quick temper. The hazel-eyed ninja woman felt herself boil. She was going to give him what he was asking for—a strong kick in the gut that made him curl and wince in pain.

"you stupid... idiot!" she yelled, knocking some dirt on him. And then she turned her sights to Gaara, " and you..." she snapped, "you're too heavy. Next time, be so kind as to flicker on your own."

"sorry," was all the red-haired man could say. Though in actuality, he was trying to keep up with her but she was too fast for him to catch up. Since when had she moved that fast? And she seemed to have mastered the Flicker Technique to perfection without any hand seals.

On the other side of the battle field, it would seem that Shimasa could be winning. But the master puppeteer was not giving up that easily. The blue-haired ninja was an adept in genjutsu but Kankuro was proficient enough to evade him.

"damn it," the puppet ninja cursed under his breath, feeling his luck running out.

"what's wrong?" Shimasa asked in a sing-song voice, "running out of ideas?"

"what are you talking about? You're the one trapped in my jutsu..." Kankuro said back.

"is that so?"

Suddenly, Karasu was behind the enemy and with one swift movement from Kankuro, Shimasa was swallowed whole by the puppet.

There was a terrible crunching and churning sound, coupled with horrible screams... and then silence.

"glad that 's over with..." Kankuro sighed. He searched for his teammates, finding them immediately right after the infamous Mougin Jion activated his ultimate technique.

"what happened here?" Kankuro asked more to himself as he watched Kyara and Gaara fight against a monster. Jion was at the offense while the Suna ninja's where defending themselves from a gale force of punches and kicks. Since when could he move like a speeding bullet? And he was deflecting Kyara's sword with his bare hands too!

"damn it!" Kyara fumed. _If i could only deactivate his jutsu, i could hit him..._

She felt a sudden rush before she could have registered what happened. Jion had kicked her out of her feet. She stumbled around and opening her eyes, she saw Gaara lying on top of her... again.

"i'm starting to get frustrated with this, Gaara..." she murmured that only the man could hear.

"you and me both," Gaara replied, getting up.

Unbeknownst to them, Jion had already activated his second justu. His hands expanded, wide enough to grip three persons on each hand. The bushy man then spun around, gigantic hands sweeping for every booby traps scattered around him. With his gargantuan hands, he had a ton of them.

"oh no..." Kankuro knew what Jion was going to do next. He tried to stop him, using his puppets but Karasu and Kuruari were smashed away like flies.

Jion's attack came swiftly. It was raining fire and brimstone as the hundreds upon hundreds of explosives went falling at the Suna ninjas.

In a heart beat, Kankuro was inside Sanshuo. Gaara's sand encased him and his kunoichi partner inside a thick sphere as they were bombarded by explosions. Kyara, though somehow weakened by Mougin Jion's last attack on her, still found the strength to additionally enforce the sphere with a defensive-barrier jutsu.

"Gaara-kun..." her voice was shaking, "i'm running low on chakra. We have to put him down... before we ran out of time..."

In the darkness, the sand-wielder felt her trembling with exhaustion. He himself was feeling the fatigue in his limbs. The fight was taking too long and the enemy seemed no where near stopping with his assaults. They truly had to finish the battle and capture the target as instructed to them.

The last explosion—one terribly huge explosion to the side of the sand sphere, shattered the duo's defensive barrier. Gaara and Kyara were violently thrown out into the air, landing unceremoniously and painfully hard on the ground.

For a long moment, there was silence. The explosion ceased. Dust and debris were everywhere. Nothing was moving, nothing made a sound. Kyara was half-conscious, ears ringing painfully, as she felt—more than seen—the shadow of their enemy closing in on them.

In the haziness of her vision, she saw him snap into action. She knew the movements too well, being a competent and talented shinobi she was. She knew the enemy had fired at least a dozen kunai or shuriken at their direction. She knew the motion of the final kill... and before she knew it, she was lying on top of Gaara—taking his head and tucking it under her, covering the vital part of his body with hers.

The sudden jolt on his person brought Gaara around. His head was crackingly painful, his mind blurry and barely functional as he tried to register what happened. He was on his back and another body—a very female body—was dangerously close to his person. He immediately recognized who it was embracing him in an almost intimate way. "Kyara...?"

The kunoichi tried to lift her self up from the redhead but it proved much difficult. She was exhausted, injured and bleeding. "Gaara..." she said, very weakly sliding off of him, "my l-leg..."

And indeed there was a knife anchored on the back of her right leg.

Kankuro had appeared out of somewhere, aiding his younger brother and colleague. Gaara could almost hear his mocking voice coupled with Jion's booming one. But Gaara was stunned, looking at Kyara's injury. She was panting and lying still beside him. She was in great pain and it was slowly registering to him what needed to be done.

He was infuriated. He locked his sights on the enemy. His sand gathering and shooting forward like snakes in assault. The tendrils caught on to Jion, injuring him somewhat.

"Gaara-kun..." someone's voice was heard from a distance. He could hear nothing else; see nothing else but the enemy's suffering.

"Gaara!"

He was going to kill. He saw red. Kill!

"Gaara listen to me!" Kyara tried to call him out of his manic state. Her hand was being crushed by his and there was something terrifying about the look in his eyes. She was growing afraid as he violently wielded his sand to incarcerate their target.

"i'm going to kill you..." she heard him whispered, his voice so low it almost sounded like the devil. It was the very same voice she heard him speak when the Shukaku took over him. But it couldn't be the Shukaku for it was taken away years ago!

"Gaara!" Kyara now forced her self to stand up; the pain from her injuries was forgotten as she pushed her body up. Clumsily and forcefully, she grabbed on the redheaded sand-wielder.

"stop this! Gaara, stop this!" she cried for him. He was in another realm where he could only see was his target—in a dark world where he was all consumed by hatred and rage and his only purpose was to kill. There was a small shadow of an evil smile on his face as he reveled on his enemy's struggle. His teal-eyes were round and murderous.

"please, stop this..." Kyara was begging, holding on to him as he extended his arm forward for the final attack. Jion was already covered entirely with the cursed sand.

"Gaara-kun, please stop..." she knew she was crying, her voice was trembling. What could she do to wake him out of this?

"don't do this... you're scaring me..."


	10. An advice

Chapter 10

"stop it…!" a voice said.

"you're scaring me, Gaara-kun!" she pleaded in tears, voice trembling. But where was she? He knew that terrible cry. He heard it before, three years ago. He was sure that he knew who it was. Yet all he could see… feel was the darkness. He wanted to find her, seek comfort from her. But there was the darkness still.

"Gaara-kun!"

Then there she was. Right beside him, holding on to him as if she was slinging for dear life. Kyara's beautiful face was covered in tears, as he slowly turned to her.

Those tears… they reminded him of too much pain and sorrow in the kunoichi's eyes. He saw them again after so long that he had sworn never to. But these tears were out of fear.

A strong guilt slapped Gaara as he released the now unconscious Mougin Jion. He should have controlled himself. He was always aware of his actions, even when it comes in controlling his cursed sand. Even his temper. However, seeing Kyara hurt so badly was a different matter unto itself. He had sworn to himself that if he young kunoichi got hurt, he won't take it.

Then again, he had done just that himself three years that and he was doing it now. How hypocritical of him!

"I'm so… so…" she couldn't finish her sentence as she sobbed, still semi-hugging him. 'scared' that was the word she wanted to say. The red head knew that he had intimidated the young lade so much, he couldn't help but stare at her beautiful face. Her golden orbs, so full of fear and beauty that he couldn't resist looking at them… couldn't resist wiping away the wetness from her cheeks.

Kyara on the other hand, stopped crying and pondered for the moment. Gaara had done that to her a lot of times whenever those tears fell on her.

"Gaara-kun…" she uttered with a half-hearted smile.

However, it did not last long when she suddenly fainted with her mouth foaming and her eyes rolled backward. It was fortunate enough that the young jinchuriki was there to catch her when she fell. Yet his eyes were painted with shock!

"Kankuro!" he called for his brother.

"Poison. On her leg…" the black-hooded nin said urgently.

"Get it off then." The young jounin commanded, still in shock.

"I can't just cut her leg off like that!"

"Idiot, the poison!"

"I knew that!"

As Kankuro tried to intervene, he had thought this is the first time hi saw his little brother a bit panicky. Usually, in situations like this he would just wait and stand aside until everything was finished.

_Thank you…. Kyara, _Kankuro mentally added. If it wasn't for her, his little brother would not be like this.

That evening, they decided to camp out with Jion tied up to a tree using Kankuro's special binding jutsu, and being semi-conscious-semi-dead, it gave the trio some time to worry about other things.

"Jeez… this guy could lose some weight!" Kankuro complained.

"Try moving;" the puppet-master warned him darkly, "and either way you will die in the most gruesome way."

On the other tree beside Jion's, Gaara gently placed Kyara on the ground. He felt her skin flushed and sweat was forming on her forehead. Their entwined hands, now hot. A sign of an upcoming fever.

"Kankuro…" The young jinchuuriki host called out nearly, so unsure of what to do next.

"I'm coming, bro. Just hang on for a second."

After a minute or so, Kankuro came out with a vial in hand and some medical essential plants he had gathered previously, per Kyara's instruction. And with his knowledge about poisons and it's antidotes he put it use, he hoped his formula would work.

"Gaara, would you please tie these bandages on the wound?" the puppet-master said with authority in his voice.

"I can't." the redhead replied coldly.

"wha-?" the older one tried to argue but when he saw their adjoined hands, he just made a long "ooooh…" with an idiotic grin.

After administering the medicine from Kyara's aid kit, the duo proceeded to their tent with much difficulty since Kyara's leg was severely injured. Gaara sat up, observing the kunoishi's condition. He saw the damaged leg, covered in thick bandages, turning sickly blue as the white straps tried to stop the poison from spreading to the young lady's system.

"Gaara-kun?" He heard Kyara called to him with croaky voice, "could you cover me please with a blanket or something? It's too cold…"

he gently covered her body with a wooly blanket but it was not so effective when she continued to shake like a leaf. He tried dampening a piece of cloth on her forehead, using one hand, to lower down her temperature.

"Kyara, we have to bring you to Konoha now."

"but it's… so early…"

"I don't care. You're getting worse…"

"But-"

"that's not a request I'm asking. We're taking you now."

He called for his brother for the umpteenth time that night. And Kankuro, with a startled gasped, woke up surprised and guilty as if he never meant to fall asleep. "Fix up," Gaara told him, "we're leaving for Leaf."

They were waiting for Kankuro to finish from cleaning the camp out. Kyara's condition was worsening. She felt so heavy and weak, her legs were like jelly under her own weight. She also felt so cold that even Gaara's coat did little to keep her from shivering.

"let's go guys!" Kankuro announced, tying Jion securely.

"time to go Kyara," the redhead whispered gently. Even with her condition, she could not help but feel awkward with him breathing down on her forehead. He was just too close.

Unexpectedly—even Kankuro was shocked out of his wits—Gaara attempted o put his arms under her legs to carry her. What did her have in mind since there hands were fused together?

"H-hey! What a-are you doing?" she asked, surprised.

"you can't even walk let alone stand properly with you leg injured," he answered.

"no. I just—wait! You can't carry me," she protested.

"why not?"

"well, can't you see clearly it's impossible?" the little elves in Kyara's brain were having a hell of a good time with there firecrackers and marching band.

Gaara breathed in and out very slowly, only admitting to himself, and only to himself, that what he was attempting to accomplish was ridiculous! If he wanted to carry Kyara he might have just broken her arm instead to do that… just ridiculous.

"uuuuhhh… actually," Kankuro interjected, looking guilty, "actually you can let go of Kyara now Gaara."

"…what?" the sand jounin asked slowly.

"you can just, uh, let go now… of her hand. I mean."

Slowly, Gaara loosened his grip and felt the blood rushing back to his slightly numbed hand. But as he let his hand slip out of Kyara's own, he strangely wished he hadn't. as much as he wanted to kick his brother's ass for messing around like this, he somehow wanted to thank him too for getting him close to Kyara.

"I ended my binding jutsu sometime yesterday morning. You guys could have just, well, gone separately…"

"what!" Kyara's voice was almost back to normal with her indignation, "you mean all this time you… we… that we were just…"

"holding hands," Kankuro finished for her, looking very sly all of a sudden, "but hey, it wasn't so bad after all, Kya-chan. I think it done you a lot of good actually. It brought you two closer together."

"you…" if only Kyara could reach him with her fist without her toppling over face first before she could make a hit on his cheeky face.

"now, now, Kya-chan-"

"let's not waste time idly chatting," the redhead shinobi cut off, "we're leaving. Now." He scooped up Kyara without a second thought, making the situation far too awkward.

"I won't go if your arms will encase those darling legs like such brute!"

that was Jion, awakened as soon as Gaara carried the only woman in the vicinity. "my strong arms should encase those delicious legs," he said with all malice and perversion.

"SHUT UP YOU PERVERTED BUSHY-EYED UGLY GUY!" the puppeteer yelled in his is hear, making him flinch back.

Kyara was just annoyed. Those two were too loud and already getting in her fevered nerves. That struck her with an idea.

"Jion…" she said all too tenderly, "you know what will happen to me if you won't come? I'll truly fail my mission. You don't want that to happen to me do you?"

the bushy-browed maniac's eyes sparkled as Kyara continued her sweet tirade.

"this is my first mission in after three years as an independent jounin. I want to succeed. Won't you help me Jion?" she tried her hardest to emulate a weakened begging teary-eyed damsel, though deep inside her wanted to die then and there.

Without hesitation—his mouth hanging open and drooling—Jion nodded vigorously and willingly followed. _Idiot_.

They left for Konoha with Gaara carrying Kyara in his arms. He didn't care much when he was tired or felt almost sick of exhaustion just as long as he was protecting Kyara, as what he had promised her. He thought, that it was the right time to fulfill everything that he had missed and that promised to the kunoichi.

But for the young lady's part, she couldn't help but replay the memories that had happened three years ago. Feeling Gaara's arms around her… it was such a long and distant yet so familiar feeling.

She remembered him carrying her like this. It was _that_ night so long ago. He was kissing her with so much love and passion that she could not help but respond to him. She felt scared but she trusted him. She had never felt anything like that before… complete love.

But after some time, he broke it off with and said it was nothing to him.

Kyara's eyes stung at the memory. To hide her tears, she just closed her eyes, pretending to sleep until fatigue took her over.

"what happened to her?"

the blonde leaf ninja asked as he led them to Konoha's main hospital.

As soon as they arrived in the village, they saw Naruto passing by to go have his breakfast. But when he saw Kyara's condition, he forgot all about ramen and was replaced by concern over a dear friend.

"Poison…" Kankuro replied curtly, out of breathe as he dragged Jion along with other Konoha ninja's for temporary imprisonment.

Sakura was suddenly there, almost eerily appearing out of nowhere, and took care of Kyara.

"you have to go and report Gaara-kun. Don't worry about her," Sakura said firmly, almost commanding the young man, who was not about to let go of Kyara.

"but it's—"

"I'll be informing you as soon as she's fine. Now go."

He didn't want to leave her. It was his fault, he knew it. Kyara was poisoned because of him. Because he couldn't protect her. He couldn't forgive himself if anything worse happens to her.

"we have to go Gaara. Entrust everything to Sakura-chan," Naruto assured the other jinchuuriki with a squeeze of a shoulder. "Kyara will be all right, believe it."

Still doubting, even with the blond nin's words, he left for the Hokage's office to report and deal with Mougin Jion's custody.

"Kyara-san?"

a familiar voice called her. She tried to get up, but her body felt so heavy. It was like a 5 ton elephant was placed on top of her; she couldn't move a muscle.

"easy there Kyara-chan. Don't force yourself," the soft voice said again.

"S-Sakura-chan…" she responded, voice so rough.

"yes. It's me, Kya-chan…" the rosette-haired said as she helped her slowly up.

Slowly, the kunoichi opened her dry eyes and rubbed them, a bit of tears bloomed to wash away the sleep. She smiled as she saw Sakura by her side smiling too. Kyara looked at her surroundings as if looking for something that's missing in her room.

"are you looking for something, Kya-chan?" the rosette asked.

"… no, Sakura-chan," she answered quietly, "it's just a bit nostalgic.

They smiled at each other. Sakura gave her a very tight hug, which made Kyara wince in slight pain. "Sorry," Sakura said, "couldn't help myself. I missed you terribly."

"I missed you too, Saku-chan… how are you? And how's Sasuke?"

"oh, I'm fine. I've been training again for another year. You know, working out and everything. And Sasuke-kun… well, nothing's change about him. He's still not allowed to go on missions," she sighed, sitting back down again. "what about you Kya-chan? How are you feeling right now?"

"fine, I guess," the brown-haired kunoichi answered, "I got stuck up an unexpected mission, but at least I had one. And classified A too! But I missed everything that happened this morning… so I can't tell really what happened." She chuckled, scratching her head.

"well, you were unconscious. But that's because of the poison that nearly killed you."

They were at the middle of the conversation when a noisy blonde whiskered face ninja came bursting in the room, yelling the kunoichi's name."

"Kya-chan! How are you? Oh… I brought you some-"

"Naruto, you twit!" Sakura yelled, "why did you bring fresh flower's inside?"

"w-what? I brought-"

"Naruto don't you read the signs? The last time somebody brought flowers ten people almost died here because of allergic reactions. You know the hospital know prohibits flowers inside and how did you get pass security anyway?"

"uhhh… ninja?" Naruto pointed to himself as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Which pretty much answers the whole dilemma. Sakura flushed at the short not-intended-to-be-cocky answer. He had a point and that what triggered her anger.

Kyara smiled at he sight of her friends, bickering childishly in front of her. It had only been a month since the last time she saw them. But with their care and concern, anybody would find it impossible not to miss this set of friends.

"that's alright, Sakura-chan!" she defended Naruto, who was looking to helpless and pale as the rosette continued to scold him. "I'm not really allergic to flowers. I don't have an open wound anymore. So I think I can take the pretty flowers now. Thank you Naruto for the thought."

"I told you, dobe," a deeper voice entered the room as Sakura tried to arrange the flowers on the table. "she'll go berserk if you brought those to Kyara."

"Sasuke-kun!" it was Kyara who greeted him first. Undeniably, the raven-haired shinobi became more handsome than she had thought. She could not even hide the blush on her face as soon as the Uchiha nin came inside the room.

"yo," was the only response from Sasuke.

"so… how are you Kya-chan? I heard your mission was an A-clas," the blonde would-be Hokage asked, encircling his arms around the girl's shoulders. The kunoichi on the other hand, made a not so obvious flinch. Naruto was weighing down his weight on her.

"yeah…. But as you can see, I end up here at the hospital. Again," she said sheepishly.

"nah, that's all right. You and me always end up here after training right? But after that we become much stronger. Right?" Naruto said with the usual warm smile on his face that always made Kyara feel all right.

"uhuh," she agreed, "and I think I have to thank you for that. You helped me a lot."

The way she said it made the blonde man flush and fidget, making an idiotic laugh, scratching the back of his head.

"and you Sasuke-kun," Kyara turned her attention on the sharingan bearer, "have you hurt Sakura-chan?" she asked leering at him.

"of coarse not, idiot. Why would i?"

"he tried to sneak in the Hokage's private library, Kya-chan..." she heard Sakura whispering beside her. She pretended to whisper, that is. Everybody in the room heard what she said.

"I did no such thing." Sasuke quickly defended himself, a little angry at his girlfriend.

"what the hell was he doing in the Hokage's library?'

Redness bloomed on Sakura's cheeks, "you figure it out."

"huh?' both came from Kyara and Naruto, who had never heard of that incident from both best friends.

The conversation went idly from there and until it went to another topic then another. Naruto and Sakura pretty much dominated the chatter. Though more like, Naruto chattered while Sakura might scream at him from time to time and Sasuke would simply add a few insults or two in between.

"hey, Kyara-chan," Naruto suddenly started.

"yeah?"

"where's Gaara? I haven't seen him all day."

By that question, Sakura and Sasuke became weary of Kyara's reaction. Her expression drastically dropped. Would she stop and linger? Or maybe cry?

Naruto got a knock on the head from Sasuke for being so tacky and smart. _Idiot_.

As far as they have known, the brunette kunoichi hated that man for breaking her heart. All they have known, according to Kyara, he dumped her because some superficial reason that he did not love her anymore.

They stared at their friend for a moment and surprisingly Kyara's reaction was not what they have expected. "I was also wondering where he had gone too. I thought he was with you guys the whole time." And she was smiling the entire time.

"Well... he was for a little while," Sakura told her, "but after we brought you in, he went straight to the Hokage's Tower. I never heard from him since then."

"oh..." she had a strange look about her self that none of them could discern. Like she was trying not to really think about the matter and just leave the fact that Gaara never once came to see if she was alright.

But in all honesty, deep down Kyara's heart, she found herself missing the man she had been holding hands with for the past few days. She had been treating him nicely and even smiled at him for denying the fact that he too had smiled. She even remembered crying in front of him, pleading him to stop and snap out of his monstrous intent to kill. It hurt to know that even if he did bring her to Konoha to be saved, he did not bother to check if she was indeed okay and alive.

"hey..." the rosette sliced the strange silence, "why don't you go and buy us some ramen, Naruto? I'm pretty sure Kyara-chan's hungry. She'll need all her energy now, right Kya-chan?"

The other kunoichi broke into a sweet smile. "that's right, Sakura-chan. Let's celebrate this reunion!"

Night time came and team seven left for Kyara to rest. But no sooner a pale young man with raven lack hair came in with another bunch of flowers in hand.

"I've read from a book that it is almost necessary to bring flowers to a sick person. It said it's a sign of compassion."

"if it isn't the gay-lord..." Kyara greeted the man.

"hello, weirdo," the man returned, laying the flowers on the table.

"Sai, how many times do I have to tell you that I'm not weird. I'm gorgeous!"

"Right. You're always to busy being gorgeous that you always end up being too weird." And Sai told this with his ever fake smile.

"whatever! I'm still too gorgeous for you anyway!" Kyara sneered.

"you still have I wide mouth."

"and you still look like death came over you."

"aren't you scared?"

"scared of what?"

"as I understand, you said I looked like I died. If I died and I'm still here that would mean I'm... a ghost of some sort... I read people are fearful of anything related to ghosts and the dead. And so that leads me to my question, 'aren't you scared?'"

Kyara burst out laughing, almost rolling out of her bed. "you're not scary Sai. You're just... you're... ew!" and she laughed out loud again.

"The book said that If a woman said something negative and or derogatory, it's has quite the opposite definition," Sai added, giving the kunoichi one of his fake simpers.

"You know..." Kyara just shook her head, admitting she gave up the cause, "you know what, why don't know come over here?" Kyara opened her arms, pulling the pale ninja into a warm hug. Sai actually blushed. "aww, you really missed me Sai, didn't you?"

"Yes." Just one word already told Kyara so much of what her friend really wanted to say, even though he did not know how to go about her hugging him—he just stood there awkwardly.

Kyara let go, patting her friends cheek. "so how are you doing lately? How's the facial expression practice, eh?"

"It's hard and... tiresome," though he answered with a big smile. Fake, as always.

"I don't see the connection why simply trying to express yourself could be that hard and tiresome. People do it everyday... yet come to think that you are not your everyday person, so I think you can be forgiven."

"It's difficult for me to have the appropriate expressions for any given situation... emotions are complicated," the former Root ANBU said solemnly.

"How come? Don't tell you forgot about everything I taught you?"

"No, Kyara-san, I would never forget those lessons. It's just that you made it... hard for me."

"huh?" Kyara scratched her head, "I thought I laid it down on you a simple and easy as possible."

"Kyara-san, you are so slow on the uptake."

"huh?"

"and you look stupid."

"WHAT?" Kyara was about to knock a vase on her friend's face but she pulled back, thinking this was Sai... he was brutally honest and he needed help with socializations. Kyara did not need to hurt him over that and unlike Sakura, Kyara had a little more self-control. Quietly she placed the vase down beside her bed. The fresh flowers still in full bloom. "What do you mean that I made it hard for you to understand then."

"I told you, I understood those lessons perfectly. You were a great help to me... but because you left... it felt..."

"It felt?" Sai? Feeling? This was something new entirely. Kyara's heart was soaring now but she needed not to burst out with elation. Not yet anyway. Sai did not need to be startled; he only needed quiet reassurances.

"It felt..." Sai was looking away, complete lost, "that something was missing... I strangely feel like my head went blank and I could not comprehend... stuff."

Kyara cocked her head to the side. "It would seem to me that you just said you suddenly became stupid after I left."

"Is that what happened to me?"

"Beats me... but Sai..." she was looking at him as if she had just discovered something sweet and genuinely lovely, "I think you're going to be okay now. Just keep up the good work."

When she first met Sai, she was reminded of her terrible past. Like him she did not know if she should be feeling sorry or contented with herself. She did not have any memories of her early childhood and had been completely lost to the world. She had been all alone before her sensei found her off the streets. Sai, on the other hand, was taught since childhood not to have emotions. He was drilled to purge himself of any feelings of sympathy, empathy and all feelings in general. What was happening to Sai was what had happened to her, he was beginning to discover himself. All he needed was time to get to use to things.

In a way, both she and Sai had a certain way of understanding each other. Sai, though only capable of giving untrue smiles, could discern falseness in others. He could easily detect if Kyara was unhappy or not. Kyara, with her natural gift to practically hear other people's thoughts, can easily read Sai's and she empathizes with him.

"And I missed you dearly too, Sai," Kyara added. Sai only nodded, awkward again to which Kyara gave him another loving hug.

Unbeknownst to the pair, another was listening just outside if the half-opened door. He heard everything that needed to be heard. He unconsciously gripped his hand, harder than was necessary and almost drawing out blood.

What made him think Kyara still cared for him the way she had all those years ago? He was a fool. It had been his fault. What did he expect? He broke her heart.

Slowly, he turned away.

"Lately... it's been getting really frustrating, Sai-kun."

"Why is that so?"

"His actions... they make me so... argh!" the kunoichi slammed her fist on the bed, "it's confusing and I hate it! I mean, the fact that we're not together is... just fine but at the same time... the way he treats me now is like... I don't know..."

"Go on." Sai encouraged.

"It's confusing and that makes me angry because... I don't understand." She sighed at the end.

"So you don't like the feeling he is giving you?"

"People don't give other people feelings, Sai. They make them feel," Kyara retorted, a matter-of-factly.

"Then what does Gaara make you feel?"

"He makes me... feel... so much that that I can't begin to describe it. I know it's so wrong. He broke it off with me. I shouldn't let this happen to me now. I'm supposed to be stronger now. But he's showing kindness and care... it's so unlike, you might say him but I know him better than most people do. I know he has a good and genuine heart. I just... don't... I don't know."

"Kyara-san... you're babbling is unnecessary," the root ANBU said, deadpanned.

Kyara only sighed, "yeah... I guess I am."

"So how do you really feel about all of this now?"

"I just told you," Kyara frown.

"No you didn't. You told me too much that it missed the point."

"Alright! Alright!" Kyara cried in frustration.

"Will you tell me now?"

"Alright already! Gaara makes me feel... he makes me feel safe and secured around him. I think."

"So obviously... you're still in love with him."

Kyara paused for a very long time.

It was almost midnight at Konohagakure. Everyone was asleep with their minds at peace and some were already dreaming. Even Naruto was drooling in his sheets at the moment.

The cool wind gently blew on the streets as the night went on with peace and harmony. No sign of trouble or enemy invading the village.

However, one Sabaku no Gaara was still awake. Not that he was not sleepy, he was just used to being awake all night long.

His mind was still filled with lots of things. And almost all of those are about what he saw and heard. Why were Sai and Kyara that close? Though he knew that the girl was very amicable, the both of them were just too close together sitting on Kyara's hospital bed?

"What am I thinking...?" the redhead jinchuuriki asked himself. He did not have the answers unfortunately.

He shouldn't even bother himself about such things. He did not have the right to. For him the kunoichi deserved better—someone who could truly make her happy and most especially, someone who was brave enough to protect her.

Sitting up on the roof a random building, he remembered those days that he and Kyara sat by together. She would place her head on his shoulder and would tell him to keep smiling more often. He felt different whenever she was near; it was a good kind of different. A special heart-throbbing kind of different that he wished would last forever.

Then the time came when he got carried away by his emotions for the first time, he confessed he had deep feelings for the girl. There was the first touch. And there was the first kiss. She had trusted him without hesitation.

Gaara shook his head and rubbed a hand over his face. He was tired and drained. Maybe a few hours of just lying down would have to do then. He left his spot on the roof and landed soundlessly on the ground. Turning to walked towards the direction of the apartment he and Kankuro were currently residing, he was greeted by another. Uchiha Sasuke.

The last time they had seen each other was around five years ago, during the chuunin exams. Not a very good memory. Their fight turned out to an all-out invasion. He did want to crush him to pieces now that he met him again. He hadn't had a good fight before the chuunin exams and he really wouldn't mind if they spar.

"You know..." the Uchiha spoke whilst looking at another direction as the redhead, "I've been training with Kyara... and I'd say she's not that bad for a kunoichi."

Gaara kept silent.

"She's a really good person too."

The sand ninja was clenching his fists now. He didn't like how the Uchiha sounded as he spoke about Kyara.

"And... you let her go," the raven-head added. "word of advice: when you love someone, you should be there in every minute of the day with her, so that you can protect her. I learned that the hard way."

Still Gaara kept silent. But he was all ears for what the other was telling him.

"Of course... you were there... but you couldn't even protect Kyara, could you? That's why she's where she is right now. Hurt... because of you."

The former jinchuuriki turned to glare at the Uchiha but Sasuke was already walking away at the opposite direction. Leaving him brooding on his own.

Hey there, guys! I know, I know…it's been a while…a looong, looong, while. And I'm sorry for making you wait that long…(will you ever forgive me?). But, hey! Look at the bright side! Chapter 10 is already here. I hope you like it! Enjoy reading! God Bless everyone!


	11. The Truth Behind a Hostility

Ola,ola,ola mi amigo,mi amiga! Chapter 11 is here finally! Yes! Enjoy reading dear readers!

DAMN REGRETS

By: Kyara-Gaara's Girl and Bakunawa

The Truth Behind a Hostility

CHAPTER 11

It had been five days since Kyara was admitted to Konoha District hospital due to her injured leg.

It was already 1 in the morning and she could not sleep no matter how she tried. She tossed and turned on her sterile white sheets, a sign of her impatience, but that didn't work either. She was so bored!

As she tried yet again to close her eyes to sleep, she tried to ponder the events the past five days:

_Day 1_

_Sai and the others had came to visit, only to find her complaining about her leg. It was stiff and sore but, the legendary sannin, now Hokage of Konohagakure, strictly instructed her not to move them around or else the poison would spread faster. She understood her orders but Tsunade-sama did not trust her, knowing Kyara's impatience on situations like this, and decided to cast a jutsu that immobilized her leg._

"_That ungrateful, old hag!" Kyara complained to Sai that afternoon. "I mean, what kind of medic lets her patient suffer immobilization and deep vein thrombosis!"_

_Kankuro and Sai looked at each other, as if waiting for her to explode then, the black-hooded nin checked Kyara's exposed leg._

"_Kya-chan..." Kankuro said, after returning to his seat, "Your legs are still in shape and you don't have the signs of DVT." _

"…_yet! Not yet! Shickers! My leg looks awful!"_

_The kunoichi continued to whine while scratching her bandaged leg. The itch was starting to annoy her and she can't resist scratching them. _

"_Kyara-chan," Sai approached her, looking concerned over her leg, "Don't scratch. It's going to get worse if you kept on nicking it."_

"_But it's itchy!" the young kunoichi complained._

"_Here." Sai started to rub his warm hand thoroughly, then gently placed it on the very spot where Kyara kept on scraping._

"_Feeling better?" _

"_H-Hai. Thank you, Sai."_

_The itch started to fade and she felt a bit better. She leaned on the headboard to rest her back when a thought came to her mind._

"_Uhm, Kankuro-niichan? Do you know where Gaara-kun is?"_

"_Nope. Why?" he asked casually._

" _Well, I… uh, haven't seen him around."_

_Secretly, or maybe she was just good enough to hide her emotions, Kyara felt a bit stung, knowing that Gaara did not even bother visiting her to know if she's still alive or well._

_Day 2_

_It was the worst day of Kyara's life. For the second day of her admission, Tsunade had informed her about the upcoming operation that she would undergo, prior to her poisoned leg. She had told her that the toxin was so resilient, that even Sakura's extraction jutsu won't be that effective. _

"_Surgery is our very last resort, Kyara." She remembered the great Hokage telling her with an authoritative voice._

_But she wasn't deterred by it unlike other patient does. All she was worrying about is the scar that would stay on her leg and she knew that it wouldn't be a very good sight._

_Just that afternoon before they wheel chaired her to the operating room, she asked Sakura if there are medicines or herbs or any jutsu that would conceal her scar after the surgery._

"_Don't worry, Kya-chan. I'll take care of it." The rosette kunoichi assured her with a warm smile. "Not a trace would be seen."_

"_Actually, I'm planning on amputating her leg." Tsunade said with all the seriousness in her eyes._

"_What?" Kyara yelled, as soon as she heard the word 'amputating'. "You have got to be kidding me. You can't just cut off my legs like that without my consent. I didn't even sign any waiver here!" she said, almost crying and everyone was expecting her to burst out of her skin out of rage. They were all getting worried except for Sakura and Sai, who knew Tsunade-sama's face so well._

"_Kyara-san," Sai said, patting Kyara's shoulder, "When will you ever get used on Tsunade-sama's fake façade?"_

"_W-what?" the kunoichi said, eyes already wet with tears._

"_She'll only perform a minor surgery, so amputating your legs is off the hook." The pale ANBU nin explained, while receiving an evil look from their great leader, for saying 'fake façade'. Or maybe for ruining her dumb joke._

"_You mean…she's only joking?" Kyara asked dumbly._

"_You're so slow, as always, Kyara-san." _

_She just smiled at him and gave him another warm hug, which made the former ANBU root blush, before entering the operating room._

_Day 3_

_She sighed in relief as soon as she saw that her leg is still fine. As Sakura promised, there are no traces of incision or stitches on her leg. However, they were still immobilized for the medicinal jutsu to be effective. _

_Kyara pouted, knowing that this was going to be another boring day at the hospital. She tried watching the television but nothing caught her interest. She read the book Sai bought for her but she felt drowsy while reading so she stopped, not wanting to sleep the whole day._

_She was somehow thankful that the former ANBU nin was with her._

"_I want to do something." She said, sitting up straight._

"_What do you want to do?" Sai asked._

"_Hmmm…" she thought but nothing came on her mind. " I don't know. What do you suggest?"_

"_Let's see." The pale nin cocked his head to the side to think of something interesting. But obviously, there is nothing that he can think of._

"_How about we play, the guessing game?"_

"_That's boring, Sai-kun. And that's for five year olds."_

"_But I can't think if anything else, Kyara-chan."_

_Kyara groaned in surrender annoyed that she had to stay in this stinking hospital while she had nothing to do but sit still. She glared at Sai for walking around, feeling jealous that he could just walk freely, while she sat there with her legs immobilized. _

"I'm going to have deep vein thrombosis." _ She thought angrily. _

_Sai, being aware of his best friends feelings, suddenly walked up to her and gave her a very warm hug, which startled Kyara a bit._

"_What is it, Sai-kun?" she asked, face a bit flushed._

"_I've read from a book that a hug is a very effective therapy for depressed people." He whispered in her ear. _

"_You think I'm…depressed?" Kyara asked, confused._

"_Yes. Since you can't walk yet, it may have some psychological effects on you. So a hug is my therapy." _

_The kunoichi just sighed and smiled, shaking her head at her friends over rationalization. Somehow, her boredom was lessened when Sai arrived and she was thankful. What would she do without a friend like him?_

"_Thank you, Sai-kun." She said, softly._

_Unbeknownst to them, a man was standing behind the door, fist tightened on the door knob. He quickly left the hospital, without apologizing on the male nurse he had bumped on his hurry to escape the reality he just seen._

_Day 4_

_Kyara was hyped that morning when Tsunade-san had her orders that she's well enough to be able to dangle her legs. She almost shouted with joy, that Sai and Sakura had to remind her about noise regulations. The whole team 7 celebrated her recovery with Naruto on the spotlight for talking the whole hour._

"_Sakura…" Sasuke murmured beside his girlfriend, "Tell that idiot to shut up. He's been talking since we arrived." _

_The female medic nin just rolled her eyes upward, annoyed by her boyfriends sour mood. Sasuke could be a bit annoying at times, especially when he's being a kill joy or a jerk. Sakura sometimes wondered why she fell in love with him._

"_Maybe I could get out of here tomorrow. Hopefully." Kyara murmured, though more to herself. She hated to stay for another day, but she knew she wouldn't be able to walk without some assistance. She knew Sai would be with her, but she did not want to bother him, especially that the chuunin exams are drawing near._

"_Don't worry, Kya-chan, you'll be out here in no time. Sakura-chan will do everything to make you feel better." The blonde shinobi assured her, with a grin on his face. _

"_Of course. And I can't wait to have a spar with Sasuke-kun." She regarded him with a slight smug. "My muscles are getting really wasted since I've arrive. Will that be okay, Sasuke-kun?"_

"_Bring it on. I can't wait to test your fighting style as well." Sasuke answered, with a confident façade. Sakura just shook her head and whispered 'really' to herself._

_Kyara's physical therapist came in that afternoon for her massage and she was more but willing to comply for her recovery. Anything for her healing and discharging. _

_Night time came and team seven left for her to rest. But she was glad, even if she was alone again, because, she knew that she would be okay because of her friends care and concern for her. She knew that they would never abandon her and they will always be there for her…to stand by for her. And she would never exchange them for anything else._

_But a certain someone crossed her mind. Gaara never really bothered to pass by, and it made her sigh in disappointment. Instead, she just closed her eyes to forget about him until fatigue took over her._

_Day 5_

_Sakura was the only person who came by that day. She had informed the kunoichi that she's allowed to walk even outside her room and the news had made her day. But her euphoria did not last that long. The rosette told her that she could not stay any longer._

"_Why?" was the only question, Kyara had managed to ask._

" _Hokage-sama had occupied both our hands for the chuunin exams and she's putting us all on pressure." Sakura answered, signing the documents on Kyara's medical chart, making a face. _

"_Shickers…" _

"_I'm really sorry, Kya-chan. Well make it up to you after you've been discharge, okay?" Sakura said, apologetically._

"_That's fine Sakura-chan. Don't worry about it." Kyara said, sitting on an armed chair. "Say hi to Sai-kun for me."_

_The medic nin just gave her a smile, which she did in return._

_It was a very boring day. Kyara had finished a whole book, and maybe would have finished a row if she had a book shelf inside. That afternoon, she tried searching for a nice movie again but to no luck. There was nothing but old films premiering, that if the third Hokage was still alive, he would have named them. _

_She really hated the hospital now! How many times she was admitted, she could not tell. Now, all she wanted to do was escape. She didn't care about her medicines, which are due for the next day, or even her therapy. She felt as healthy as a horse and didn't need any medical management. _

"_I have to get out of here. I might lose my mind if I stayed here for another day." She said to herself, facing a wall. Wait…she just talked to herself. And she did it on a wall! _

_Kyara's eyes widened then took a deep breath to prevent her self from hyperventilating. _'I'm not crazy.'_ She thought. To calm herself, she laid on the bed and tried to relax. It was effective. She even remembered three years ago, when she passed by a sleeping Shikamaru on a roof top. She just smiled at the random memory. _

_Then, Gaara crossed her mind again. She has been thinking about him a lot lately. And she admitted that she strangely missed him. She knew it was wrong to feel such a thing, but then she also knew that it's no good to lie to herself. _

"_Gaara-kun never came." She said, miserably. And she spent the day, feeling so fed-up about Gaara not showing up._

_Day 6 (Present Day)_

Kyara couldn't take it any longer. The sterile smell of the hospital already hurt her nose .Literally. 'How troublesome.' She had thought. That morning, around 3 maybe, she sneaked through the nurses' station using her ninja abilities. She was thankful enough that the janitor was in a very deep sleep in a sofa, when she passed by to get out through a window.

"Yes!" she whispered. She smelled the fresh air of the streets then exhaled in relief, looking at the tall trees, peaceful streets and colorful houses of her original village. It was like getting out of a prison that she almost wanted to jump and shout. But she has to get a grip of herself or else, she will be back before she could smell the rest of Konoha.

Now that she had ran away from the hospital, she decided to look for Gaara. The man owed her a good explanation as to why hadn't he bother to give her a visit, or maybe she just wanted to be with him? Kyara didn't have the answers unfortunately.

She had looked everywhere, but she couldn't find him. She tried going to familiar places Gaara would prefer, the most quiet places of Konoha is the most promising, but he just wasn't there.

'Where is he?' The young kunoichi wondered.

After searching some more, Kyara felt herself woozy. Not that she's exhausted. Days of lying in the hospital had made her sick of it but, she's only human. She already felt sleepy and Naruto was only the person she could think of, out of drowsiness.

Kyara knew that it's rude to intrude private properties, not to mention, going in through someone else's window. But she did not want to wake Naruto up. The poor guy must have been drained out for the preparations on the said exam. She could get arrested for this but she had nowhere else to go. She had thought of checking in on a cheap apartment, but unfortunately, she didn't had enough money and it left her no choice but to sleep the night on her best friend's house.

She succeeded going through his window, and landed soundlessly on the wooden floor, at the foot of the sleeping blonde ninja. She had seen him asleep so many times, during joint missions, classes, or even training that she just smiled and shook her head. Naruto's expression was still the same: mouth hanging open, snoring loudly, hands and legs spread all over the bed. The kunoichi smiled again from the memory. Naruto was indeed the wackiest ninja she had ever met.

That morning, she was the first to wake up. Maybe she was so sleepy last night that she did not remember sleeping on the floor, until she felt her back sore. So much for lying on a cozy bed of the hospital.

Naruto was still asleep when she sat up. He's still snoring and maybe he was dreaming about something, because he was smiling. Then out of nowhere, she heard the man murmuring Hinata's name and an idea struck her mind, making her smug.

Slowly, she climbed beside Naruto's bed and covered her body, showing only her bare shoulders. Her movement must have disrupted the male nin up that when he finally decided to open his eyes, shock was painted on his face and he was blushing madly at Kyara's sight.

"Ack!" Naruto exclaimed, moving away from the female ninja. "Kyara-chan! What are you doing here?"

Kyara pretended to blush and looked away from Naruto. "Don't you remember last night, Naruto-kun?"

"Whaaaat?"

"What have you done to me, Naruto-kun?" she made a coy façade, that made Naruto gulped. However, Kyara couldn't hold it any longer. She suddenly burst out laughing at Naruto's reaction, that made the other confused.

"I was joking, Naruto-kun!" and she laughed some more, now holding on her stomach.

Naruto was slightly irritated, but seeing that the young lady had laughed again for the first time since she returned, he felt relieved. She was finally loosening up and is back to her normal self again.

After telling Naruto about her escape at the hospital, the spiky haired nin, complained childishly.

"You should have told me you were going to escape. I could have helped you."

"I was, but seeing that you're pretty much occupied for the chuunin exams, I did not bother. So I have to do it myself." Kyara said, fixing her hair, while waiting for Naruto to fix up.

"Oh, right. I'm sorry we did not have the time to visit you, Kya-chan. But we could make it up for today."

"Today? You mean, Hokage-sama gave you a break?"

" Yep! And today will be my treat for Ichiraku ramen!"

The duo went to find Sakura, Sasuke and Sai to celebrate for Kyara's recovery. But Naruto-always full of surprises- did not bring them only for a ramen. Instead, he treated them in a restaurant called 'Barbe-q' where they had a good time eating yakiniku, inviting all the _jounin_ of Konoha . Kyara had missed them all so much that she almost wished she did not have to go back to Sand and face her grumpy old teacher. These are her friends…her comrades who had helped her when she needed it and mostly, the ones who taught her to treasure friendship and camaraderie. They were always there beside her through good times and bad and Kyara would never forget them.

"What's with the long face, Kyara-chan?" Sai asked, noticing that she suddenly became very quiet. "Is something bothering you?"

She just shook her head then smiled, saying that she was glad that they had a reunion.

"It's nothing really, Sai-kun." She assured when he still looked weary.

"Nothing or something?" Naruto sneered, smiling at her. "Or someone?" he added with a sly grin on his face.

"Hey! Don't start with _that, _Naruto-kun!" she blushed, hiding her face with her bangs.

"What? I haven't said anything, yet you're blushing." The blonde would-be-Hokage taunted, making her redder on the face.

"Is it, Gaara, Naruto-kun?" Ino added, winking at her. "Should I call him then?"

"No, don't, Ino!" Kyara quickly held her down. "But, have you seen him?"

"See? Gaara is the remedy." And they all taunted her. Kyara knew that they were just making her laugh and she couldn't help but laugh with them too.

"Well, you can't blame her. That Gaara guy is somehow cute…" Ino stated as-a-matter-of-factly. "And hot, may I add."

Kyara spent the whole day, with all of them making her laugh and smile. She even received a gift from an also blushing Hinata, for helping her once with training. She had so much fun, that she forgot the disappointment she felt for Gaara. It was all thanks to Naruto, she would bring another fruitful memory when they have to go home to Sunagakure.

Kyara decided to spend the night on the apartment, her team mates were currently residing, not wanting to be a nuisance to Naruto or any of her friends. The idea of Gaara being there somehow made her uncomfortable and excited at the same time.

She was about to go, when she spotted Kankuro in the middle of the crowd.

"Kankuro-niichan!" the brunette kunoichi called, when she realized, the hooded puppeteer was not heading for her direction. In Kyara's view, it seem that he was heading towards the hospital, because he was carrying fruits with him. She realized that Kankuro didn't have the slightest idea about her little escape from the hospital.

At the sound of his name, the puppeteer turned and was surprised to see her out of her bed and in her gear.

"Kyara-chan…" he said, after reaching her. "I thought-"

"I'll tell you about it later, okay?" she cut him off, smiling. As much as she wanted to spend more time with her friends, she has to rest her body because, she could feel the sleepiness taking over her and at any rate now, she swore she would doze off.

"Okay then. By the way, have you seen Gaara? I haven't seen him the whole day." The black-hooded shinobi asked, looking from one to the other.

"No, we haven't seen him either." Naruto answered.

"Isn't he with you the last time we arrived?" Kyara asked, a hint of concern on her voice.

"Don't worry. I'll find him eventually, Kyara-chan. You two go on and have a rest. I'll go look for him."

Both sand ninja nodded and went the other way, while Naruto went to the opposite direction.

He had searched for some usual places but he couldn't find his fellow jinchuuriki. He looked for the chuunin exams stadium and realized that it was a rirdiculous idea. Why would Gaara stay in the stadium when it was still close until the exams? He searched everywhere but couldn't find him.

However, he wasn't giving up. He knew Kyara was worried, even though she won't admit it. He could see it all in her eyes.

He went to the opposite of his direction, hoping to find the red head and after an hour or so of leaping from one roof to another, Naruto had finally found him.

He was sitting on the tank above the hospital, Kyara had been admitted. Naruto knew he was in deep thought. He was always in a deep thought that Naruto assumed he was just sitting around.

"Gaara…" he greeted the man.

Gaara glanced at him then nodded, acknowledging the other mans presence, then went back to what he was staring before Naruto came.

"uhmmm.." the blonde shinobi started dumbly. "Kyara-chan is looking for you."

The red head half turned when he heard Kyara's name.

"Maybe you should go and tell her that you're alright."

Silence met him and he was obviously sweating from the awkwardness of the situation. He has conversed with Gaara a lot of times, but not like this; one-on-one and even from before, he sucked at it.

"Is she alright?" the sand-wielder asked, making the other male nin exhale in relief.

"Yeah. She even pulled a prank at me this morning." Naruto smiled, sheepishly.

"I heard she escaped the hospital."

"Y-yeah. Sorry about that, Gaara."

The red head did not answer. Instead, he took a deep breath. Naruto, sensing that something is wrong sat beside him.

"What's the matter, Gaara?"

Gaara was not the one to confide his feelings on others, except maybe to Kyara. But this was Naruto, the only person like Kyara who can understand him the most.

"Kyara…"

"Kyara-chan? How come?"

"I can't protect her."

Naruto was at loss for words. He didn't know how or what to say to Gaara. Somehow, he wanted to say out loud, 'you're right. That's why she ended up in the hospital' but knew that it would be inappropriate, but then, he knew Gaara loved Kyara so much, that he would protect her with his life. He had seen it on his eyes when he had said this. But then, he broke her and that confused him even more.

"And…she'll hate me for the rest of her life because of that."

"No, that's not true, Gaara. Kyara-chan could never hate you."

"I broke it off with her." Gaara shot at him with a cold glance and he got quiet for a short second.

"Well, that…" Naruto scratched his head, looking sheepish. "That was a different thing. Especially when she found out about the miscarriage-"

And that was it. Naruto wanted to slap himself for being so tacky and smart. He should have watched his mouth but it was already too late. Kyara's pregnancy was supposed to be a secret between team seven and her. Gaara or even Kankuro was not supposed to find out. Kyara made them promise, but he had broken it.

"Miscarriage?" Gaara asked, surprised though he had managed to maintain his apathetic look.

"You mean, you didn't know?" Naruto sighed in exasperation. Since he had somehow revealed some secrets, he decided to tell Gaara everything instead.

"Sakura-chan said she was three weeks pregnant when she got here. I honestly don't know a thing about pregnancy, but she was all pale when she arrived three years ago."

As Naruto explained, everything went clear for Gaara and it just made everything between him and Kyara worse.

It was still so clear in his mind. The incident three years ago before they broke up was still fresh and in all honesty, he could never forget it. Because that was the night he got carried away by his emotions and he himself could not even believe what he has done. He was scared after that, but Kyara had so much trust and faith in him that his fears were soon forgotten. But then he had broken her into nothingness after that night and that was the reason behind Kyara's hostility towards him. Because he got her impregnated and because of him, she had miscarried the baby…their child.

Gaara was silent after what Naruto had told him about the incidents three years ago. Now what is he supposed to do? He didn't know. How could he face Kyara? Or even his siblings? He can't even look at Naruto straight in the face.

He felt so…ashamed of himself. How irresponsible of him to send Kyara away, when she was carrying a life inside her body?

And for the first time in a very long time, Gaara shed a silent tear, and this time, Kyara wasn't there to comfort him.

Hey! Hey! Hey, guys! Kya-chan here! I'm so sorry this took so long. I know, I know I've been so negligent these past months. Sigh. But anyways, look on the bright side again! ^_^ chapter 11 is finally here! cheers so, sit back, relax and I really hope you enjoy reading! Chapter 12 is coming right up! Keep your fingers crossed! And please…pretty please review my story? Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!


	12. confrontations

Hey there guys! Happy new year to all of you! I want to thank you all for supporting and for reviewing my fanfic, since chapter one. I have a new story coming up and I hope it will turn out as good as Damn Regrets. ( and I may need your help, guys).

Please pray that I will be able to finish Damn Regrets this summer. Chapter 13 may take a while again since I'll be graduating this year and that means...I will be busy finishing graduation requirements. (sniff, sniff!) Please bear with me. =,(

Anyways, here's my Christmas and new years ( and Valentines) gift for all of you, my precious readers! =D

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Always,

Kyara-chan

DAMN REGRETS

By: Kyara-Gaara's girl and Bakunawa

Confrontations

Chapter 12

That morning, Gaara's team gathered at the great wooden gates of Konoha to head back to Sunagakure. Jion's custody had already been decided by the Hokage and the Kazekage through slow correspondence by hawk. He was to be kept in prison for the safety of the upcoming exams.

Kyara wanted to stay so badly, to witness the test and victory of other children, but it was her duty to go back and report to their village leader with her team.

And speaking of her team, Kyara had finally met Gaara after waking up early that morning. However, she did not bother speaking to him, much less greet him a 'good morning'.

Gaara thought, Kyara might even get back at him for not bothering to visit her at the hospital when she was sick.

"I want to thank YOU GUYS for visiting every day when I was sick." Kyara said, giving emphasis on the words, 'you guys', making Kankuro gulp. He knew the kunoichi was throwing it all on his younger brother but, Gaara didn't even notice...or pretended he did not, which sometimes Kankuro could never tell apart.

"Especially, Sai-kun." She continued to talk loudly. "Thank you soooo much, for ALWAYS checking on me if I was still alive. It really meant so much."

"No problem, Kyara-chan." Naruto was the one to answer. "It was really nice having you around again. We had a lot of fun!"

"That's right-Kya-chan." The rosette Sakura agreed, "so much! If you have another mission, don't forget to pass by Konoha, okay? And don't forget to write."

Kyara smiled at her before answering, "Of course, Sakura-chan. I'll write to you as soon as I arrive."

"You'll write to me too, right?" Sai asked in a dull tone. The young lady's heart twisted as soon as she saw her friends face. She went closer to him and gave him a warm hug before smiling.

"You know I will, Sai-kun. Just keep up the facial practice, alright?" she said, gently patting his face, then faced the sharinggan-bearer beside Sakura.

"It was nice sparring with you, Sasuke-kun." she said, giving him a wink. "I hope we could do it again some time."

"No problem, Kyara. And I wouldn't mind sparring with you too."

"Sure thing, Sasuke-kun. Thanks for your help. Oh, and don't hurt Sakura-chan."

"Jeez...you know I won't." Sasuke murmured, looking away from her. Kyara just smiled and sighed.

"Well guys? I guess we have to go now." She bid.

"Thank you for your accommodations, guys." Kankuro said, bowing. "And for saving Kyara-chan. We owe you big time."

"Take care," Naruto bid goodbye as well, "We'll miss you, Kya-chan."

The female nin just gave them one last smile then went with her team mates to head home.

"Kyara-chan..." Kankuro called the kunoichi, a bit of irritation on his voice. Both of them were gathering firewood that night for camp and Kyara had been avoiding him, not wanting to hear any confrontations about hers and the sand-wielders odd behaviour.

What now? Kyara had asked mentally, hoping that he might just have something different in mind. But, the puppet shinobi's face was so predictable, she did not need to activate her telepathic technique.

"What's with you and Gaara again?" he asked, irked. I thought so. Shickers! The kunoichi cursed mentally.

"Nothing, okay?" she snapped, gripping the wood, Kankuro had chopped.

"If it's nothing, then why aren't you two speaking to each other again?" he asked, making a chunk fly Kyara's opposite direction.

"Because, there is nothing to speak about." She answered, getting annoyed.

Kankuro had finally finished cutting, gathering his own pile of wood, before speaking.

"Look, Kyara-chan. I know you. I know there is something bothering you."

"Then what is bothering me, Kankuro-niisan?" the young lady asked, cheeky.

The puppet nin obviously froze then gave Kyara a glare.

"Come on, Kyara-chan. Stop messing around." He said, irritated.

"You said you know there's something troubling me."

Kankuro just made a face at her, giving up; knowing Kyara in her current mode won't do anything at all. 'Maybe she's losing it.' He thought in his frustration.

Walking behind the kunoichi, Kankuro thought, there must be some explanation behind the cold shoulder between these two. Recently, he did not hear any form of argument from the ex lovers, and Kyara even slept peacefully at the apartment they've been staying with Gaara around. They even had breakfast together, but what happened? Did he miss something during their stay in Konoha? That can't be. The brunette was with her friends the whole time and Gaara went somewhere to be alone, so there could be no way for them to fight.

"Maybe i'm just thinking about it too much." The male nin whispered.

"What?" Kyara asked, jerking her head to look at him.

"Uh...nothing..." 'Jeez...' He moaned, massaging the bridge of his nose. A migraine had attacked him just this morning and now that he was feeling the tension between his brother and the female nin, it was coming back full force.

They have finally set the fire to cook the nuts Kyara had gathered earlier on their way. Kankuro had finally given up on the issue and just talked his nerves out, while they were waiting for the nuts to cook. The kunoichi snatched three apples from her bag, tossing it to her team mates. They had their dinner, with Kyara and Kankuro talking all the time, and Gaara would only reply with his 'hn' and nod when being asked as was his form of communication. That was their first camp meal, without the tension and the puppet master was so glad, he asked another apple from Kyara.

After dinner, the kunoichi was getting ready to take a bath at the near river bank she spotted earlier. She was about to ask Kankuro's permission, when she realized that he had gone to sleep as soon as he set his tent up. Kyara just took a deep breath, knowing that she didn't have any choice but to go and ask the red-head, sitting beside her pack again.

"Uhm...G-Gaara-kun? Can I, uh, have a spare time to freshen up?"

Of all the times, why did she have to blush and blunder in front of him? wasn't it that they already held hands for days? They even nearly kissed! Why would she be conscious now?

Gaara looked up hesitatingly before answering.

"Alright. Just don't stay out too long." He permitted. However, there was something different in the way he said it. Kyara sensed it, but did not mind it that much. For all she knew, she might have just interpreted it wrong and maybe Gaara just wanted her to hurry up.

"Or maybe you could just come and wait for me by the forest." She suggested, voice obviously shaking with embarrassment. "That way, you don't have to worry about me, taking too long." She added as casually as she could, but her cheeks had failed to hide the awkwardness she felt.

Gaara on the other hand was surprised at her offer. However, he did not waste time pondering as to why, because he had other thoughts going on in his head.

He wanted to talk to Kyara about the incident three years ago, but how can he start? Where should he begin? Should he talk to Kankuro about this? No. It would be best if he confronted Kyara straight ahead but, how would she react to this? Would she even bother telling him the truth? Would she stay away from him again after the confrontation? He did not want that to happen of course, but what other choices did he have? There were so many questions going on in his head, he felt like it would explode anytime now.

Although, he knew the kunoichi was very kind, he couldn't help but try to be careful in handling and choosing the right words, because he knew Kyara still had hang ups about the past.

After an hour or so, he heard the young lady's footsteps coming closer to his spot at the forest. He is determined to have the talk with her, no matter how it would turn up.

"Sorry for taking too long, Gaara-kun." She bowed, after arriving from the shore.

But the former Jinchuuriki was not looking up at her which made her conscious. Is he mad again? She asked mentally, rolling her eyes and giving a deep sigh. She was about to ask him but Gaara was the one that started things up.

"Kyara, can we talk?" he asked, straight forward.

The female nin paused from combing her hair to regard at him, swallowing loudly.

Shickers! What is it again this time? She moaned inwardly, butterflies on her stomach. She tried to act normally though.

"Aren't we talking right now?" she laughed sheepishly, pulling a strand of her bangs. She was trying to lighten up the uncomfortable atmosphere around them but the sand wielder is too serious, which was not a surprise to the kunoichi, and her thumping heart made it worse.

"I'm serious, Kyara. We have to talk...at least I have to." He finally looked at her with those jade green eyes that told her, he had wanted to have this conversation since they left Konoha.

The female ninja took a deep breath then sat beside him on the log and returned the stare at him.

"What do you want to talk about?" she began.

"What happened three years ago..."

Kyara froze at her spot, looking at her thighs. A thousand questions popped out of her brain, like fire works on New Year's Eve, as soon as Gaara answered her. Why would he bother? Why would he want to know now? What would this do if he finds out? Know how miserable and weak she was after he had broken her? She had not thought about this...that one day, Gaara would ask her about the events the past three years. She had tried so hard to forget and shut them in a box and bury it where nobody would find it. It was about to open again and she did not want to confront it. She never wanted to.

"I have to know what happened to you."

"Why would you want to know?" she asked in a soft voice.

"Because-"

"So that you'll prove how much of a fool I am to believe in you?" she asked coldly, her timber slowly rising. "To make me realize that I was a stupid girl, who had let her feelings take over? Or you just wanted to know so that you could watch me break in pieces again?"

Gaara was left speechless. He knew it. Kyara still held all the bitterness in her, and she tried to suppress them to protect herself from being hurt, but this time, she couldn't hold it any longer now that he had opened it up.

Kyara continued, while he listened to her, and how he had made her life a living hell after making his wrong decisions.

"You know, I was trying so hard not to remember those events because, I don't want anybody to see me weak. But why do you have to put that up, Gaara? Why now, when I was trying to get on with my life, and try to be strong for everybody? For my self? " She tried holding back her tears but they were already rolling down her cheeks. " I trained...I worked my ass off with team seven so hard so that I could be strong like them. But why am I still so stuck with being helpless? With being a weakling? I thought I was strong enough...tough enough...but I'm not."

Kyara paused, taking in a breathe. "Is that what you want to hear from me, Gaara?" Her voice came a little softer. "Do you really want to hear how miserable I've been?"

The red head shinobi never made a sound after hearing the kunoichi's sentiments. He hated seeing her like this. After such a long time, he had seen her break down again and, just how ironic it is, he's the one who caused those tears yet again. Just how many times did he have to make her cry?

When he realized that Kyara was not speaking anymore, he decided he had to ask about the miscarriage...if she was indeed pregnant or Naruto was just playing a prank on him. He knew this would make the situation worse but he just have to know.

"Naruto told me what happened to you. To the baby...is that true, Kyara?"

The kunoichi stood up with a hand over her mouth. Why did he have to bring up another painful past? Weren't her tears enough to let him know how much she's hurting now? If she told him, what benefit would he get? Would there be any convenience if she revealed everything?

The female nin was shaking with anger because Gaara opened up a subject she was avoiding so well and at the same time disappointed with herself for showing weakness and vulnerability in front of the man she thought she could just walk with her head held high.

"Kyara...please." he pleaded, standing in front of her, wanting to hold the young lady's hands, which were now closed into fists.

"You weren't supposed to know that..." she said very quietly. "I have to stop training because I was so physically and emotionally stressed out. And yes, Gaara! You were the father! Don't you dare act dumb because all along, you knew that was going to happen! You're not stupid, Gaara! You knew the consequences of what we did! But what did you do? You left me! You left me because I was stupid and helpless and pathetic! I bet you had a good laugh, huh? 'yeah, that's Kyara. The girl who got knocked out by the fourth Kazekage's son!' that's just funny, don't you think?"

Her body was shaking all over as she poured out all her feelings she tried and tried to suppress for all those years. Kyara knew she went too far, but those were true. All those years of misery made her life a living hell. Not a night she had not thought about how the people in Sunagakure thought about her after Gaara dumped her. She had been praying that nobody would find out about her pregnancy and miscarriage, especially the Kazekage and Gaara. She did not want them to feel any pity on her when she gets back but now that Gaara knew, she have to ask him not to tell this to anybody except maybe for Kankuro.

Now, all she could do was cry, let all her restrained feelings out. She knew she had to stay away from him for her own good. For her to move on completely.

The young man was about to hold her close to him, but she took a step backward.

"Stay away from me. Don't you dare come any closer!" she spat the words like venom.

"Please Ky-" Gaara made another step but she left in a blur before he could get a hold of her. He did not make another move to catch her. His entire body stood frozen as his heart protested behind his ribcage. His entire world shattered.

That night, Kyara decided to be left alone in the woods, obviously avoiding Gaara. Earlier, he was opposed to that idea but Kyara's strong words made him go back to the campsite on his own, finding Kankuro sitting by the fire.

"Where's Kyara-chan?" he asked, rubbing his hands and returning it again near the fire.

However, the former Shukaku host did not give him any answer; instead he sat by his older brothers side. Kankuro knew there was something wrong and something happened in the forest while he was waiting for them.

"What happened back there, Gaara?"

The sand-wielder did not want to entertain this interrogation again. But how could he get out of this mess he was in? Kyara hated him again and it was shoddier than before.

"Could it get any worse?" the puppet-master asked.

"Worse." Gaara repeated, meaningfully. Yes. Worse than before.

"Why?"

"Kankuro...She was pregnant." The red-haired shinobi said quietly, staring at the flames.

His older brother almost choked at the word 'pregnant' and quickly gulped on his water jug.

"Pregnant?"

"I'm the father." he finished the sentence, closing his eyes.

Kankuro was a bit surprised at his younger brothers reaction. Never in their serious talk Gaara had shown weakness and this time, he had left himself open to him. Closing his eyes and turning his hands into fist meant he did not know what else to do and this irate him even more.

"That is... wow..." Kankuro could not begin to form words. "She told you this just now?"

"It was Naruto."

"... I see. And the baby?"

"...Gone." Gaara answered so quietly, Kankuro for a second thought it was the wind who answered.

"That's..." For once, Kankuro could not find any words to console his younger brother. For once, he felt useless as he laid a hand on the other's shoulder while the other man silently grieved for the child he lost without knowing.

The sun was shining brightly the next day, arriving at Sunagakure's enormous gates. The guards gave them a warm welcome, especially Kyara who smiled warmly back at them. Yura just couldn't take his eyes off her, Kankuro had to yell at him to wake him out of his stupor.

"Congratulations, Kyara."

Resha-sensei's firm voice came out, appearing behind Yura.

"Ohayo gozaimasu, Resha-sensei." Kyara greeted her teacher. "We're about to report to the Kazekage regarding our mission."

"Good. Get home as soon as you've finished. I'm on my way to the market so you could just get inside. You know where the keys are."

"Sure thing, Sensei." She pouted after her mentor left. That's it? No prize or maybe sweets for a successful mission? Just plain 'congratulations'?

'You really are thoughtful, sensei. Really thoughtful.' She complained mentally.

"Kyara-chan." A soft voice, Kyara knew so well, called out her name, as if she had been missing and found again. She turned to see Sasori. She gave him a peck before giving him a warm embrace that told him the young kunoichi had missed him. However, she had to let go of him quickly, knowing that Gaara, who chose to ignore the act, was there and she did not want anybody to make a fuss out of it.

"uhm, Kyara, we still have to report to the Kazekage." Kankuro, who was obviously irritated at Sasori's presence, reminded her.

"Alright already." The female nin snapped at him, grabbing Sasori by the arm out of habit. Kankuro could feel his younger brother shaking and was a bit apprehensive when he opened his eyes and stared at Kyara and Sasori.

"I guess I'll have to see you soon, Sasori-kun." Kyara bid to her best friend, when they arrived at the Kazekage's office.

"Of course. I'll meet you here downstairs, alright?"

"Okay, then."

The report was brief, short and precise, thanks to Kyara's ability to sum things up. Kankuro had figured, she just wanted to avoid Gaara's presence and would rather be with Sasori at this moment than be alone than think of their mission the past few weeks.

As promised, Sasori was still downstairs, waiting for Kyara, who had just gave him another warm hug. Both puppet master knew what's going on with Kyara with just a look on her brown orbs and that bothered Sasori a bit. He started to wonder what really happened during their mission.

"Sasori-kun? Don't you have work today?" the female nin asked while on their way home.

"Yes, I have but, I just wanted to see you." Sasori answered honestly. No point being shy with Kyara now that she finally returned from her mission.

Kyara, on the other hand, had a little tinge of pink on her cheeks at Sasori's comment.

"Oh. Why, though? Anything interesting? Anything new?"

Sasori wanted to tell her how ironic it was of her, asking if anything new had happened, remembering the night he had found out about Kyara's sudden transfer. He shook it off, knowing that Kyara would notice that he has suddenly changed his mood.

It was almost four in the afternoon when her stomach growled in hunger which made her wake up. Her body was so drained, she could still feel her muscles sore when she stretched.

"You're up." A stern voice greeted her.

"Konichiwa, Resha-sensei." She bowed. "I'm sorry to keep you waiting. Do you need something?"

"No, Kyara. Go back to sleep if you want. You deserve a rest. Or... do you want to have your very late lunch instead?"

"I am getting hungry actually, sensei. I think I'll come downstairs and have a little snack."

"A snack? Kyara, you did not even have your breakfast."

"That's alright, Sensei. " the kunoichi said, combing her hair. " I'm going out with Sasori-kun tonight anyway."

The blue-haired sensei stopped and stared. "Like a date?"

"Uhm...I don't know. Me and Sasori-kun are just friends so, I wouldn't call it a date. So... I don't think so sensei."

Her teacher pondered for a moment, looking at her in her eyes. Was she doubting her about her relationship with Sasori or maybe just plain assessing her condition if she was fit to go out.

"Okay, but be sure to get home unscathed. Be back by 11:30, no extensions. Is it clear?"

Kyara snorted, giving a mocking salute. "Hai, Okaa-san!"

It was almost time. The red head, puppet master was a bit hyped, clumsily dropping his materials and placing them in a disorganized manner. Other puppet parts were still scattered on his table and he decided to mix it up, thinking that he'd just arrange it tomorrow before opening his shop. He even bumped his head after placing the screw drivers beneath his table, making the outside people wonder what's going on inside.

"Probably excited or somethin'" he heard the young man passing by. Indeed, he was excited. For tonight, he will be having a date with the most lovable girl in Sunagakure, no other than Yukino Kyara. He had been waiting for this and now that it has finally came...he did not know what to do.

This would be his first time to go on a date and how was he supposed to act? What did Gaara do on his first date with the kunoichi? Should he pull the chair later for Kyara? And what was he supposed to wear? Surely he had to change his robes. This was a date and he was supposed to wear something formal... or that's what he thought. But then, the girl was going to Kyara and he knew she wouldn't mind if he wore his usual robes.

'Just be yourself, Sasori-san.' He remembered Yura's advice earlier. He's right. He did not have to act nervous in front of the girl. He knew Kyara would not mind if he went all clumsy later for having her as his first date.

After freshening up, he immediately went to the place, where he and Kyara were supposed to meet. There were a few people, mostly couples, strolling around the streets tonight. After searching, he immediately spotted Kyara, sitting on a bench, receiving a flower from a little boy. He smiled at the sight of them, especially when the young lady took the flower graciously.

"Kyara-chan." He called, loud enough to be heard by Kyara.

"Hey, Sasori-kun!" the kunoichi smiled and waved back at him. It made his heart skipped a beat. He was seeing her in a different light tonight, making his cheeks flush a little. Was Kyara wearing make up? Because if she did, she looked so beautiful tonight.

"Did I keep you waiting?" the puppet shinobi asked, offering a hand to the brown haired lady.

"Nope," she answered, taking the hand, "I was just five minutes earlier than you, so no need to worry!"

"Oh...so..." he secretly gulped, which the young lade did not notice; "where do you want to eat?" Sasori awkwardly asked to the beaming girl beside him.

"What? Hungry already?" Kyara teased.

"I faced a lot of customers today and I even forgot lunch. I only had a banana for a snack so that leads me to my answer. Yes. Very much." The male nin explained, smirking at Kyara.

"Aww, poor, Sasori-kun didn't have his lunch so he ended up being grumpy." Kyara jested. "Okay then. Let's have ramen. My treat!"

"No, tonight will be mine because I was the one who asked you out."

"Oh. Okay then. Whatever you want, Sasori-kun."

They talked all the way to the ramen house about almost everything. From their mission, the coming chuunin exams, Konohagakure, everything. Except for what really happened on their way home. Sasori realized, Kyara must have been avoiding them for a reason and so, he did not bother to ask, not wanting to ruin this night.

After filling their stomachs with great food and dessert, they decided to head back to the park to talk some more, maybe to spend much more time with each other. But the puppet master had a different thing on his mind except that he's not sure if it's the right thing to do.

He was just listening to the kunoichi but deep inside, he was thinking of the possibilities that might happen. One, he was sure that it would change everything that he and Kyara has. Two, this might be the last time that they will be having a close conversation. Whether he likes it or not, he knew that Kyara would be disgusted in him, for loving her like that when she only thought of him as her brother. Lastly, Resha-sensei would no longer allow him to see her after everything that he would be revealing tonight.

He knew he was about to ruin everything but, what if Kyara gave him a chance? After all, the young kunoichi deserved someone better, who could make her smile and happy. Someone who could comfort her in times when she's down and someone who understood her more than anybody else. Yes. She deserves that and he can give it to her.

Kyara was in the middle of her story when he suddenly cut her off.

"Kyara-chan..."

"Yes, Sasori-kun?"

Sasori swallowed, clutching his hands into fist. He knew the female nin would be listening, but he's starting to fear the possible negative reactions that might occur. He can't stand the idea of Kyara away from him but, he might also lose the chance of saying what's need to be said.

"What is it, Sasori-kun?" the kunochi waited, holding the puppet masters hand. "Are you okay?"

"I...have something to tell you." He finally dropped it.

"Okay. Let's hear it." Kyara said, having a bit of hint, but did not really want to think about it.

"Kyara, I just want you to know that..." he took a deep breath before completing his sentence, "whatever happens tonight, I will always be your best friend."

The kunoichi only nodded because she knew there was more. She did not have to activate her mind reading technique. She knew Sasori, and could read him and his actions as if he were a book.

"The thing is...I don't want to see you cry anymore, nor see you so down and miserable. All I want is for you to be happy... I always prayed for that, that someday... you would find someone who cares for you more than anything else. I always want what's best for you, Kya-chan... always. You found me when I am so lost and I knew that instant that I... I found... the best."

Kyara had the feeling that Sasori was about to reveal something she was trying not to think about earlier this evening, when the male nin had cut her off.

However, no matter how obvious the situation is, she did not dare conclude because, she is still convinced that she was just reading him all wrong and that she was just tired from her mission.

"I'd understand if you'll get mad at me." Sasori said quietly.

"I won't be mad if what you're saying is true, Sasori-kun."

The puppet master was a bit relieved to hear her speak his name with a suffix on it; an indication that Kyara is not angry. He was thankful that she was so patient in listening and she did not demand for a straight point. Kyara was kind as always.

"Kyara-chan the thing is..."

He took another deep breathe, and then...

"I love you."

Then there was silence between them. Sasori's hand are now on top of the young lady's own hand. His breathing became regulated when he saw that the hazel-eyed young lady did not move her hand beneath him.

"Kyara-chan. I'm sorr-"

"Sasori-kun...?" she took a deep breath before smiling at him. "You don't need to apologize. I'm not mad."

Sasori gazed at her, wondering how she was feeling inside. All he had to do was stare at her golden-brown orbs.

"Thank you, Sasori-kun."

"What are you thanking me for? I should be the one to do that."

"No, I want to thank you too. For everything."

Now, Sasori was slowly getting scared. He knew it. Kyara was going to start avoiding him tonight and he didn't know if he could stand it. However, he had to face the consequences and he didn't regret telling her the truth.

Subconsciously, the puppet master bent his head to reach for the young lady's lips. He was so hesitant that it nearly took a minute for him to finally plant his lips on Kyara's own. Maybe he was just watching her reactions and was glad he did when he saw a faint blush on the young lady's cheeks. When they finally met, he was surprised that Kyara did not turn away. He decided to prolong them, seeing that the brunette was not making any signs of backing away from him.

Kyara on the other hand was also surprised she did not turn away as soon as Sasori laid his lips on hers. Instead, she closed her eyes and felt herself blush as the young man prolonged the kiss. She was even amazed when he deepened the kiss and she responded with each kiss he gave.

On that moment, she could feel all her pains going back to her, as if they were arrows rebounding straight to her heart. All memories were pushed on her painfully like a flash flood on a stormy season, and she hoped that this kiss could melt it away. She responded even more when she remembered what happened to her three years ago, hoping that this could erase everything from her past.

It was good that they've decided to go back in the park, because if that kiss happened on the ramen house, it was sure they won't be back for a couple of weeks.

Sasori did not want to stop this overwhelming feeling but, he could sense that there is something wrong with Kyara's kiss and she was just doing this because she was hoping that this could save her from her past or maybe erase it completely.

Slowly, Sasori placed his arms on Kyara's shoulder and stopped, which made the kunoichi confused and looked at him.

"What's wrong, Sasori-kun? Did I do something wrong?"

He smiled at her, caressing her face gently.

"No, you did not. But Kyara-chan...you're not on your own mind."

The young lady became more confused.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you're not thinking straight tonight. That kiss did not mean anything to you. It only did to me."

Kyara went silent, not comprehending what the puppet master meant. Truthfully, she was half-enjoying the moment, until he stopped. But then, Sasori was, and still is, her best friend and she did not want to ruin it. Like him, she won't stand it if he stayed away from her.

She pondered about their situation now. Maybe...just maybe, she could give it a try. What if she tried spending time with him? He wasn't that bad. Sasori was responsible person and was capable of protecting her. He could make her laugh every time she's with him. Maybe, she could spend the rest of her life with him and she wouldn't feel the pain of sorrow again. However, if she did try, that would be unfair on Sasori's part because he knew how she truly felt inside and she hated the thought of using him.

She would NEVER dare use Sasori. She'd rather die than see him hurt because of her.

"Let's get you home, Kyara-chan." Sasori offered, holding her hand tightly, giving it a kiss.

Unbeknownst to them, Gaara and Kankuro watched them from afar.

Earlier, the red head former jinchuuriki host was about to go home from debriefing from the Kazekage tower when he saw Sasori and Kyara walking from the park.

Gaara was not the one to stalk but seeing his ex-girlfriend with another man was a different matter. Things became worse when his older brother appeared behind him, seeing him spying on Kyara.

"It's painful, isn't it? Seeing the girl you love with another man is as bad as hell." Kankuro commented, looking at the corner of his eye.

The sand wielder decided to go straight home but his idiot of a brother stopped him. It even made him wonder why he listened to him to stay, when he shouldn't be spying on Kyara anymore. He knew she did not care about him any longer so why bother looking at them and just get hurt?

They continued spying on them until they've returned to the park. Gaara knew their conversation was serious because, he saw Kyara looked down and seemed bothered.

Kankuro had even teased him but stopped when they heard Sasori confessed his love for Kyara.

"Woah..." the black hooded ninja softly exclaimed, "That guy has guts. Good luck on that one, Gaara." He teased again. But the red head just kept on looking with his brother.

Sasori was already finished when he slowly bent his head to kiss Kyara.

"And...they kissed. Wonder how long it will be."

Gaara on the other hand chose not to look and quickly left, leaving his perverted brother behind.

sorry, sorry, sorry guys! First, let me apologize for posting a very, very late chapter. School is a lot of pressure especially if you're a graduating student. I hope you guys could forgive me. Secondly, chapter thirteen may take a while...again... to be posted. However, I have decided to make an early outline so that it will be an easy work for me. I will be very busy this summer and (again), i am asking for your forgiveness.

Anyways, enjoy reading chapter 12! Hope you guys like it! Please R and R! Thanks!

Sincerely, Kyara-chan


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